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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bore — to tire
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wound — an injury
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — in cards
  10. track — to keep track
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. season — of the year
  17. suit — clothes
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. track — a song
  20. branch — a division
  21. bore — to drill
  22. track — a path
  23. season — in sport
  24. wave — of the sea

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