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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. degree — from a university
  3. pit — a hole
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. degree — temperature
  8. chip — to eat
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. chip — for betting
  13. snap — to click
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. vault — a safe
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. degree — an amount
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. pit — in a race

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