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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. board — to get on
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — to wash
  5. prune — to trim
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. wound — an injury
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. shower — rain
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a song
  18. prune — to trim
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. track — a path
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. board — a committee
  24. pass — a permit

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