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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mine — for digging
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mark — a grade
  7. deal — to handle
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. bank — of a river
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. sharp — clever
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bank — for money
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bank — for money
  18. mark — a trace
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. pass — a permit
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. pass — to spend time

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