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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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. last — finally
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. last — to go on
  6. object — a thing
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. drill — a practice
  11. last — final
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — army training
  16. object — an aim
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bore — to drill
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. object — to protest
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bore — to tire
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stand — to bear

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