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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bass — the fish
  5. net — after costs
  6. lean — to bend
  7. net — in sport
  8. wound — an injury
  9. staff — employees
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. ground — a position
  12. staff — employees
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bass — low music
  17. net — for catching
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — the earth
  21. staff — a stick
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lean — thin

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