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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rush — hurry
  9. wound — an injury
  10. land — to come down
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. land — ground
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. last — finally
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. land — a country
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — final
  22. perch — the fish
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a match

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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