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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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. can — a tin
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. can — a tin
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. row — to paddle
  10. kick — in football
  11. craft — a skill
  12. can — to be able to
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — boats
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — after costs
  20. wound — an injury
  21. row — a line
  22. foot — a measure
  23. net — for catching
  24. kick — with a leg

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