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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mine — for digging
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. plane — a tool
  6. staff — employees
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. game — a match
  15. staff — a stick
  16. game — wild animals
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. staff — employees
  21. toast — bread
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. wound — an injury

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