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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 120 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. firm — decided
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. squash — to crush
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. firm — a company
  7. net — for catching
  8. saw — the tool
  9. squash — the sport
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wound — an injury
  12. mug — to rob
  13. net — after costs
  14. mug — a cup
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. firm — steady
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. net — in sport
  19. foot — a measure
  20. mug — a face
  21. perch — the fish
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. perch — for a bird

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