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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wind — moving air
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wound — an injury
  7. court — of law
  8. foot — a measure
  9. court — for sport
  10. object — an aim
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rest — what's left
  17. court — of a king
  18. object — a thing
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a cup
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wind — moving air
  23. object — to protest
  24. mug — a face

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