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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. tear — from crying
  5. race — the arms race
  6. foot — a measure
  7. fine — all right
  8. race — a contest
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. can — to be able to
  11. race — humankind
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. can — a tin
  14. roll — a list
  15. wound — an injury
  16. roll — a cake
  17. bulb — for light
  18. tear — to rip
  19. can — a tin
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fine — high quality
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. foot — the bottom

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