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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fall — the season
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fall — to drop
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. cold — an illness
  9. can — a tin
  10. cold — not warm
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fall — to drop
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. can — a tin
  19. board — a committee
  20. can — to be able to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. board — to get on
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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