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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. can — a tin
  9. spell — a short time
  10. lean — to bend
  11. pit — in a race
  12. wound — an injury
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. spell — magic
  15. pit — a hole
  16. can — to be able to
  17. roll — a cake
  18. lean — thin
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. spell — letters
  22. roll — a list
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. can — a tin

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