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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 120 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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. chest — a box
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. chest — of your body
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mug — to rob
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. mug — a face
  10. fork — in a road
  11. mug — a cup
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. chest — of your body
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ground — a position
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ground — the earth
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wound — an injury
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. trunk — of a car

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