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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. net — for catching
  3. staff — employees
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. staff — a stick
  6. net — in sport
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — a position
  9. rush — hurry
  10. ground — the earth
  11. staff — employees
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. wind — moving air
  19. net — after costs
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. suit — to fit
  23. wind — moving air
  24. suit — clothes

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