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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 124 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — a law
  6. scale — size or range
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. pound — a weight
  9. object — to protest
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. scale — in music
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. object — an aim
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. face — to confront
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. wound — an injury
  21. face — to point toward
  22. dip — to sink
  23. object — a thing
  24. face — part of the head

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