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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. wound — an injury
  6. march — the month
  7. hand — in cards
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. march — music
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. deal — to handle
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. wound — an injury
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. kid — to tease
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — help
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. march — the month
  23. kid — child
  24. chair — a leader

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