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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. wound — an injury
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. foot — a measure
  12. wake — a trail
  13. dip — to sink
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. file — a document
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. file — a tool
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. file — a line of people
  24. saw — the tool

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