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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. wound — an injury
  4. present — there
  5. drill — the tool
  6. lean — to bend
  7. staff — employees
  8. present — a gift
  9. mine — for digging
  10. rash — hasty
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. can — to be able to
  13. drill — army training
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. drill — a practice
  16. rash — a series
  17. lean — thin
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. staff — employees
  20. can — a tin
  21. staff — a stick
  22. wound — an injury
  23. can — a tin
  24. present — the time now

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