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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 116 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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. clip — for paper
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. wound — an injury
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. court — of a king
  7. pop — soda
  8. lean — to bend
  9. clip — a video
  10. rock — a stone
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of law
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pop — music
  17. wound — an injury
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. clip — to cut
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. pop — to visit
  24. rock — music

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