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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 120 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. snap — to click
  4. lie — to recline
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. firm — a company
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. tube — the underground
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. tube — a container
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. fork — in a road
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rule — a law
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. rule — government
  21. firm — decided
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — high quality
  24. firm — steady

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