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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 120 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bulb — for light
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. kid — to tease
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. rush — hurry
  16. kid — child
  17. wound — an injury
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. prune — to trim
  20. sharp — clever
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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