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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. object — a thing
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. chest — a box
  7. wound — an injury
  8. mark — a grade
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. object — an aim
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. kid — child
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. object — to protest
  16. wake — a trail
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. kid — to tease
  20. mark — a trace
  21. chest — of your body
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. wake — before a funeral

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