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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 120 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. charge — in control
  5. pit — in a race
  6. spring — a coil
  7. wound — an injury
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. tear — from crying
  11. spring — the season
  12. saw — the tool
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. suit — clothes
  16. pit — a hole
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — electricity
  19. suit — to fit
  20. tear — to rip
  21. spring — of water
  22. suit — in cards
  23. wound — an injury
  24. tear — from crying

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