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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. mug — to rob
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wound — an injury
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. wound — an injury
  11. net — for catching
  12. chair — a leader
  13. mug — a cup
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. net — after costs
  16. mug — a face
  17. net — in sport
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. sharp — clever
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to click
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. sharp — exactly

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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