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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. stem — to come from
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. foot — a measure
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bass — low music
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. spell — a short time
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. spell — magic
  17. season — of the year
  18. wound — an injury
  19. season — in sport
  20. bass — the fish
  21. wound — an injury
  22. spell — letters
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. mouse — the animal

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