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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. dip — to sink
  3. tube — the underground
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. court — for sport
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. prune — to trim
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. tube — a container
  15. court — of law
  16. wound — an injury
  17. current — electric
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. current — happening now
  20. court — of a king
  21. current — of water
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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