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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. race — a contest
  3. rest — a break
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — the fish
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bulb — for light
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. wound — an injury
  16. dip — to sink
  17. rest — what's left
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rest — what's left
  21. track — a path
  22. fork — in a road
  23. race — humankind
  24. perch — for a bird

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