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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. pop — to visit
  3. mug — a cup
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pop — music
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. mug — a face
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pop — soda
  17. mine — for digging
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. snap — to click
  23. mug — to rob
  24. safe — a strongbox

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