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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. present — the time now
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. suit — clothes
  6. ball — a dance
  7. suit — in cards
  8. wound — an injury
  9. hand — in cards
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. present — a gift
  13. suit — to fit
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. present — there
  21. hand — help
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ball — a great time
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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