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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pound — a weight
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. mark — a trace
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. shower — to wash
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. shower — rain
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — a trail
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mark — a grade
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. snap — to click

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