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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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. ball — a great time
  7. rash — hasty
  8. wound — an injury
  9. suit — in cards
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. ball — a dance
  12. mark — a trace
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. game — a match
  15. suit — to fit
  16. game — wild animals
  17. current — electric
  18. suit — clothes
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. current — happening now
  21. rash — a series
  22. mark — a grade
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. current — of water

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