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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. spring — of water
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. wound — an injury
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. spell — magic
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spell — a short time
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. pound — a weight
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. present — a gift
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. present — the time now
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. spring — the season
  22. spell — letters
  23. present — there
  24. pound — to hit hard

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