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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pass — a permit
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. can — a tin
  8. file — a line of people
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. wound — an injury
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. tube — a container
  13. hand — help
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. file — a tool
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hand — in cards
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. file — a document
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. tube — the underground

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com