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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. spell — magic
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. spell — letters
  5. firm — a company
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. rule — government
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — help
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. firm — steady
  13. rule — a law
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. firm — decided
  24. spell — a short time

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