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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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  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. degree — temperature
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wind — moving air
  5. degree — an amount
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. wound — an injury
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — a match
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lean — thin
  15. game — wild animals
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wind — moving air
  19. lean — to bend
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. degree — from a university
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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