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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. spell — letters
  4. suit — clothes
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. snap — to click
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bank — of a river
  10. suit — in cards
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. wound — an injury
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — a short time
  15. chair — a leader
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bank — for money
  20. drill — a practice
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. drill — army training
  24. bank — for money

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