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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. rule — government
  3. branch — a division
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. fine — all right
  9. can — a tin
  10. tear — to rip
  11. rule — a law
  12. wound — an injury
  13. can — to be able to
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. tear — from crying
  16. fine — high quality
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. can — a tin
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. tear — from crying
  24. mouse — for a computer

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