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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. season — in sport
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ball — a great time
  13. fork — in a road
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — of the year
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ball — a dance
  24. wax — to grow

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