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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lie — to recline
  4. degree — from a university
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. spring — a coil
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. degree — temperature
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — of water
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fine — all right
  24. degree — an amount

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