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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wound — an injury
  6. shower — rain
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. key — the most important part
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. clip — a video
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. spring — of water
  15. shower — to wash
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. clip — for paper
  18. branch — a division
  19. spring — a coil
  20. clip — to cut
  21. key — for a lock
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. spring — the season
  24. key — in music

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