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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 116 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. snap — to click
  5. wind — moving air
  6. firm — steady
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wake — a trail
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a great time
  16. wind — moving air
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. firm — decided
  20. wound — an injury
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. firm — a company
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. hide — to keep secret

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