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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — a group
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. sharp — clever
  6. club — for golf
  7. mine — for digging
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. wound — an injury
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bark — to shout
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bulb — for light
  24. sharp — exactly

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