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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. ball — a dance
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. cold — an illness
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. ball — a great time
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. cold — not warm
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. rush — hurry
  24. lash — an eyelash

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