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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. rest — what's left
  8. ground — a position
  9. drill — the tool
  10. ground — crushed
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. wound — an injury
  13. game — a match
  14. drill — a practice
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mine — for digging
  17. rest — a break
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. ground — the earth
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. game — wild animals
  23. rest — what's left
  24. drill — army training

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