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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. object — to protest
  3. spell — a short time
  4. wound — an injury
  5. swing — to play on
  6. object — an aim
  7. bat — the animal
  8. swing — music
  9. charge — in control
  10. cue — a hint
  11. swing — in golf
  12. cue — for pool
  13. charge — a price
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. object — a thing
  19. charge — electricity
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. spell — letters
  22. cue — a signal
  23. suit — in cards
  24. spell — magic

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