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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. foot — a measure
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. squash — the sport
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — hurry
  9. suit — to fit
  10. mark — a trace
  11. branch — a division
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. mark — a grade
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — a stone
  21. wound — an injury
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — in cards
  24. branch — of a tree

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