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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. swing — to play on
  5. stock — goods
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. sharp — clever
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. swing — in golf
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. swing — music
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. stock — shares
  19. bear — the animal
  20. foot — a measure
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rush — hurry
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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