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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rush — hurry
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — part of the head
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. shower — rain
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. track — to keep track
  14. chair — a leader
  15. face — to confront
  16. deal — to handle
  17. suit — in cards
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. track — a path
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. track — a song
  22. suit — clothes
  23. shower — to wash
  24. suit — to fit

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