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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 116 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bore — to tire
  3. mark — a grade
  4. face — to confront
  5. pop — to visit
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pop — soda
  11. face — part of the head
  12. mark — a trace
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. pop — music
  16. face — to point toward
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bat — the animal
  24. mark — to pay attention

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