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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wound — an injury
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — in cards
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. saw — the tool
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. row — to paddle
  17. fine — high quality
  18. saw — the tool
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. row — a line
  21. wound — an injury
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. fine — all right
  24. hand — part of the body

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