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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. file — a document
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. tube — a container
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a line
  8. land — ground
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. suit — clothes
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. land — a country
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. land — to come down
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. suit — to fit
  18. file — a tool
  19. tube — the underground
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. suit — in cards
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. file — a line of people

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