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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. suit — to fit
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. field — for sport
  6. club — for dancing
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. suit — in cards
  11. wound — an injury
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. field — a subject
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. club — for golf
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. suit — clothes
  20. field — farmland
  21. snap — to click
  22. club — a group
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. patient — a sick person

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