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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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. rule — a law
  6. rule — government
  7. drill — the tool
  8. mate — a partner
  9. drill — a practice
  10. mate — to breed
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fall — to drop
  13. ground — a position
  14. drill — army training
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. ground — the earth
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. club — for dancing
  20. mate — a friend
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. club — a group
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. club — for golf

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