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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — a series
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bank — for money
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. deal — to handle
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bank — for money
  13. perch — the fish
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — in football
  21. bank — of a river
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. pass — a permit
  24. perch — for a bird

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