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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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. court — of law
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. sharp — clever
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. stem — to come from
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. pitch — completely
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — for sport
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. vault — a safe
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wake — a trail
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. wound — an injury

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