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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. deal — to handle
  3. fall — to drop
  4. tube — the underground
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. net — in sport
  7. craft — boats
  8. mine — for digging
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. fall — to drop
  11. craft — a skill
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. wound — an injury
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. net — for catching
  17. fall — the season
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. net — after costs
  24. tube — a container

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