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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. object — an aim
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. degree — temperature
  5. wound — an injury
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — to fit
  8. swing — music
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. object — a thing
  11. spring — of water
  12. degree — from a university
  13. spring — the season
  14. degree — an amount
  15. swing — to play on
  16. suit — in cards
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. swing — in golf
  19. spring — a coil
  20. object — to protest
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. sharp — clever

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