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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. race — humankind
  3. plane — a tool
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a song
  9. race — a contest
  10. track — a path
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bass — the fish
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. race — the arms race
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bass — low music
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. mark — a trace
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. mouse — the animal

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