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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. net — for catching
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. march — the month
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. staff — employees
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. sharp — clever
  16. staff — a stick
  17. net — after costs
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. staff — employees
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — the underground
  24. net — in sport

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