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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. race — humankind
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. snap — to click
  8. race — the arms race
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bass — low music
  13. race — a contest
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bass — the fish
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. tube — a container
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. hide — to keep secret

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