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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. land — ground
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. land — to come down
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. kick — in football
  15. rock — a stone
  16. mark — a trace
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. land — a country
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — a weight
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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