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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. kick — in football
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a dance
  6. track — to keep track
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. toast — bread
  12. track — a path
  13. saw — the tool
  14. roll — a cake
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. roll — a list
  18. saw — the tool
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. ball — a great time
  21. chair — a leader
  22. wound — an injury
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. track — a song

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