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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. plane — a tool
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. game — wild animals
  5. chip — to eat
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bore — to tire
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bank — for money
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. season — in sport
  16. chip — for betting
  17. season — of the year
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bank — of a river
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bank — for money
  24. game — a match

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