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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. fine — all right
  3. wound — an injury
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — high quality
  6. face — to point toward
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. ball — a great time
  10. face — to confront
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wound — an injury
  17. ball — a dance
  18. track — a path
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a song
  23. face — part of the head
  24. mouse — the animal

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