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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 120 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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. shower — rain
  9. wind — moving air
  10. current — happening now
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. dip — to sink
  13. club — for dancing
  14. shower — to wash
  15. charge — electricity
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. club — for golf
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. current — electric
  20. charge — in control
  21. current — of water
  22. charge — a price
  23. club — a group
  24. wind — to turn a key

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