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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. track — a song
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. season — of the year
  7. firm — decided
  8. face — to confront
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — a weight
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. firm — a company
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. season — in sport
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. face — part of the head
  17. firm — steady
  18. face — to point toward
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. track — to keep track
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. track — a path

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