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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 124 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. capital — a city
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. saw — the tool
  7. capital — money
  8. wound — an injury
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — to come from
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. kick — in football
  20. board — a committee
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to click
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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