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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. wound — an injury
  3. face — part of the head
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. chip — to eat
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — a practice
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. key — the most important part
  14. chip — for betting
  15. key — in music
  16. wake — a trail
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — to point toward
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. key — for a lock
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. wound — an injury

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