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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. chip — for betting
  5. wake — a trail
  6. game — a match
  7. lean — to bend
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. lean — thin
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. game — wild animals
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. chip — to eat
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. lean — to rest against

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