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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. club — for dancing
  3. cell — in biology
  4. wound — an injury
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. suit — to fit
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. suit — clothes
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wound — an injury
  11. shower — rain
  12. club — for golf
  13. plane — a tool
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a hat
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cell — a phone
  21. club — a group
  22. shower — to wash
  23. suit — in cards
  24. cabinet — ministers

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