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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 116 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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. wound — an injury
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. land — a country
  9. stand — to bear
  10. fine — all right
  11. dip — to sink
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. land — to come down
  14. rush — hurry
  15. fine — high quality
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. land — ground
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. trunk — of a car

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