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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. suit — clothes
  4. row — a line
  5. charge — in control
  6. wound — an injury
  7. suit — in cards
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. firm — a company
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. charge — a price
  12. rock — music
  13. firm — steady
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — a stone
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. charge — electricity
  18. kid — to tease
  19. mine — for digging
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. suit — to fit
  22. row — to paddle
  23. kid — child
  24. firm — decided

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