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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. spring — of water
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. wound — an injury
  6. spring — the season
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. firm — a company
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. wind — moving air
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bass — low music
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. spring — a coil
  17. wind — moving air
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. firm — steady
  21. bass — the fish
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. firm — decided
  24. bark — to shout

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