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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 120 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. firm — decided
  3. shower — rain
  4. wound — an injury
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. fall — to drop
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. tube — a container
  12. fall — the season
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. tube — the underground
  15. firm — steady
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. firm — a company
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. shower — to wash

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