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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. rock — music
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. mug — a cup
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. rush — hurry
  9. lie — to recline
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mug — a face
  12. rest — a break
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rest — what's left
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. mine — for digging
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rest — what's left
  20. mug — to rob
  21. rule — government
  22. rock — a stone
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rule — a law

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