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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 116 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. drill — a practice
  3. mug — a cup
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. mug — to rob
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. stock — shares
  8. stock — goods
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a grade
  11. face — to confront
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — a safe
  14. drill — the tool
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a line
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. wound — an injury
  20. drill — army training
  21. mark — a trace
  22. face — to point toward
  23. mug — a face
  24. face — part of the head

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