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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. rock — music
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — all right
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. land — to come down
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. land — a country
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cap — a hat
  17. snap — to click
  18. cap — of ice
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. rock — a stone
  21. land — ground
  22. cap — a lid
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. cabinet — ministers

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