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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. spell — magic
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bound — tied together
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. race — a contest
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. race — the arms race
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. spell — a short time
  16. fine — high quality
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bound — certain
  19. spell — letters
  20. bound — obliged
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. race — humankind
  24. fine — all right

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