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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. race — humankind
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. mug — a face
  15. hand — in cards
  16. mug — a cup
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. race — a contest
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hand — help
  23. branch — a division
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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