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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a dance
  7. current — happening now
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — army training
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. current — of water
  18. deal — to handle
  19. drill — the tool
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. current — electric
  24. kid — to tease

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