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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 116 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. wound — an injury
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. squash — the sport
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. dip — to sink
  12. tube — the underground
  13. squash — to crush
  14. lie — to recline
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. tube — a container
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  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