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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. key — the most important part
  3. rock — a stone
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a tool
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — crushed
  12. rock — music
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. key — for a lock
  15. ground — the earth
  16. file — a line of people
  17. deal — to handle
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. key — in music
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. wound — an injury

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