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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. wound — an injury
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cell — a phone
  7. wound — an injury
  8. spell — magic
  9. pop — to visit
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. spell — letters
  13. pop — soda
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. spell — a short time
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. stand — to bear
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. lean — thin
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pop — music
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. lean — to bend

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