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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — music
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rock — a stone
  8. fall — the season
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. pop — to visit
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. fall — to drop
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — to eat
  18. mine — for digging
  19. pop — soda
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pop — music
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. mine — an explosive

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