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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 116 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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. race — the arms race
  3. suit — clothes
  4. spell — a short time
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. wound — an injury
  8. object — to protest
  9. saw — the tool
  10. race — a contest
  11. spell — letters
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — a grade
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. cell — a phone
  17. object — an aim
  18. spell — magic
  19. object — a thing
  20. cell — in biology
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. race — humankind
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — in cards

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