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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 120 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. ground — crushed
  4. object — to protest
  5. tube — a container
  6. rock — a stone
  7. wound — an injury
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. perch — the fish
  10. ground — the earth
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. mark — a trace
  13. object — a thing
  14. rock — music
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. hand — in cards
  17. mark — a grade
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. ground — a position
  20. object — an aim
  21. hand — help
  22. tube — the underground
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. perch — for a bird

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