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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 120 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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. last — final
  5. rest — what's left
  6. shower — rain
  7. last — to go on
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bear — the animal
  13. last — finally
  14. wake — a trail
  15. mug — a face
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — there
  18. shower — to wash
  19. present — a gift
  20. rest — a break
  21. mug — to rob
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. mug — a cup
  24. rest — what's left

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