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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mug — a cup
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. mug — a face
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mug — to rob
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. roll — a list
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — to rip
  14. shower — rain
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — a weight
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. shower — to wash
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. board — a committee
  22. roll — a cake
  23. board — to get on
  24. tear — from crying

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