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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. shower — rain
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. wind — moving air
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. plane — a tool
  12. shower — to wash
  13. suit — in cards
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wind — moving air
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. suit — clothes
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. suit — to fit
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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