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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. fall — to drop
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. scale — in music
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. track — a path
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. scale — size or range
  20. tube — the underground
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. tube — a container
  23. track — a song
  24. track — to keep track

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