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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. drill — the tool
  3. wound — an injury
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a match
  6. stand — to bear
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. court — of a king
  9. mug — to rob
  10. suit — to fit
  11. mug — a cup
  12. lean — to bend
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. court — for sport
  15. drill — a practice
  16. suit — clothes
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. court — of law
  19. mug — a face
  20. suit — in cards
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. drill — army training
  24. wound — an injury

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