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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. tear — to rip
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — wild animals
  7. rest — a break
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. fine — high quality
  11. rest — what's left
  12. game — a match
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. rest — what's left
  15. tear — from crying
  16. wound — an injury
  17. plane — a tool
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. wound — an injury
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. tear — from crying
  24. foot — a measure

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