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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. wound — an injury
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. dip — to sink
  8. spring — the season
  9. squash — the sport
  10. ball — a great time
  11. squash — to crush
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. lean — to bend
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. craft — a skill
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — of water
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. ball — a dance
  24. lean — thin

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