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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. face — to point toward
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. last — to go on
  7. club — for dancing
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mark — a trace
  11. club — for golf
  12. last — finally
  13. face — to confront
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a grade
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. last — final
  19. club — a group
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. face — part of the head
  24. ruler — for measuring

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