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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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Word bank
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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — a series
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. snap — to click
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rash — hasty
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. pit — a hole
  14. wound — an injury
  15. board — a committee
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. board — to get on
  22. pit — in a race
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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