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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. fall — to drop
  5. wound — an injury
  6. dip — to sink
  7. foot — a measure
  8. fine — high quality
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. rash — a series
  12. wound — an injury
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fall — to drop
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. fall — the season
  21. fine — all right
  22. deal — to handle
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. rash — on the skin

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