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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — for betting
  4. last — final
  5. wake — a trail
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. vault — a safe
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — finally
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rush — hurry
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — in cards
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wake — before a funeral

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