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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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. ball — a round shape
  4. mark — a grade
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pit — in a race
  9. mark — a trace
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. pit — a hole
  12. chip — to eat
  13. ball — a dance
  14. branch — a division
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. kid — to tease
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. chip — for betting
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. kid — child
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. ball — a great time

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