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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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. straw — a straw man
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. scale — size or range
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. scale — in music
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. land — to come down
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. land — ground
  21. pitch — completely
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. land — a country
  24. pitch — a sports field

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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