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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. game — wild animals
  3. can — a tin
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. bat — the animal
  10. wound — an injury
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. deal — to handle
  13. can — to be able to
  14. roll — a cake
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. roll — a list
  17. saw — the tool
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. can — a tin
  22. game — a match
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. temple — a place of worship

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