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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. wound — an injury
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. branch — a division
  8. season — of the year
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. spell — a short time
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. spell — magic
  13. current — happening now
  14. spell — letters
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. current — electric
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. wound — an injury
  20. current — of water
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. racket — for tennis

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