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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 124 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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. race — the arms race
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. band — a music group
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. race — a contest
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a ring
  16. race — humankind
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. wake — a trail
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. hide — to keep secret

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