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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. kid — child
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a great time
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. perch — the fish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. ground — crushed
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — hurry
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. face — to confront
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. ground — the earth
  17. face — to point toward
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — an injury
  22. ground — a position
  23. ball — a dance
  24. face — part of the head

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