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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — a thing
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — to breed
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. object — to protest
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fine — all right
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. dip — to sink
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. wave — with your hand

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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