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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 124 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — a grade
  4. shower — rain
  5. march — the month
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mug — a cup
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. object — an aim
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. wind — moving air
  14. march — music
  15. shower — to wash
  16. march — the month
  17. wind — moving air
  18. object — a thing
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. object — to protest
  23. wound — an injury
  24. mug — a face

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