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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. row — a line
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. suit — in cards
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. march — music
  9. rule — a law
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. rule — government
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. rash — a series
  14. fine — all right
  15. suit — to fit
  16. row — to paddle
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. march — the month
  20. suit — clothes
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. march — the month
  23. fine — high quality
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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