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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. clip — a video
  4. fall — to drop
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. clip — to cut
  7. key — the most important part
  8. fall — to drop
  9. track — to keep track
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. track — a path
  12. track — a song
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. key — in music
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. clip — for paper
  19. pass — a permit
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. fall — the season
  23. key — for a lock
  24. pass — to succeed

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