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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. cold — an illness
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. staff — employees
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. present — there
  9. band — a music group
  10. rush — hurry
  11. cold — not warm
  12. present — the time now
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. staff — a stick
  18. wound — an injury
  19. staff — employees
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. present — a gift
  22. band — a ring
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. band — a rubber band

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