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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. file — a line of people
  6. wound — an injury
  7. fine — high quality
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. squash — to crush
  10. file — a tool
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. fine — all right
  14. row — a line
  15. squash — the sport
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. row — to paddle
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. file — a document
  22. vault — a safe
  23. mine — for digging
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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