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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. kid — child
  3. firm — a company
  4. pop — to visit
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pop — soda
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. pit — a hole
  10. wound — an injury
  11. dip — to sink
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. firm — steady
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. firm — decided
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. pit — in a race
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. kid — to tease
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. pop — music

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