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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. dip — to sink
  4. suit — to fit
  5. deal — to handle
  6. suit — in cards
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. wound — an injury
  10. suit — clothes
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fine — high quality
  15. perch — the fish
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. fall — to drop
  18. capital — a city
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. fall — the season
  21. fine — all right
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. capital — money

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