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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. land — ground
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. club — for golf
  9. snap — to click
  10. wound — an injury
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. land — to come down
  14. club — for dancing
  15. wound — an injury
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. club — a group
  19. foot — a measure
  20. spell — letters
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. spell — magic
  24. land — a country

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