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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. staff — a stick
  3. club — for dancing
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. ground — a position
  6. staff — employees
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. club — a group
  9. ground — crushed
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. tear — to rip
  14. staff — employees
  15. tear — from crying
  16. club — for golf
  17. tear — from crying
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. ground — the earth
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rush — hurry

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