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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. vault — a safe
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. wound — an injury
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. kick — in football
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. rush — hurry
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. wake — a trail
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. branch — a division

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