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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rock — a stone
  3. wound — an injury
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. land — to come down
  8. saw — the tool
  9. land — a country
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. wake — a trail
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. deal — to handle
  18. land — ground
  19. rash — a series
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. rock — music
  24. foot — a measure

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