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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. fine — high quality
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. present — there
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wound — an injury
  10. fine — all right
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — low music
  14. toast — bread
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. wound — an injury
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. present — a gift
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. present — the time now
  24. bass — the instrument

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