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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pop — music
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pop — soda
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. wind — moving air
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. wind — moving air
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. pop — to visit
  19. vault — a safe
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. plane — a tool
  24. arm — a part of something

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