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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — in a road
  5. face — part of the head
  6. land — a country
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. pop — music
  10. land — to come down
  11. pop — to visit
  12. face — to point toward
  13. spell — a short time
  14. cue — a signal
  15. tube — the underground
  16. spell — letters
  17. tube — a container
  18. spell — magic
  19. pop — soda
  20. wound — an injury
  21. cue — a hint
  22. land — ground
  23. face — to confront
  24. cue — for pool

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