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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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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. deal — to handle
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. pound — a weight
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. season — of the year
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. season — in sport
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — to sink
  21. stem — to come from
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — to go away

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