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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. net — in sport
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. net — for catching
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. drill — a practice
  8. net — after costs
  9. firm — decided
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wound — an injury
  12. lie — to recline
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a line of people
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. drill — army training
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. file — a tool
  21. firm — steady
  22. drill — the tool
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. firm — a company

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