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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. staff — a stick
  4. saw — the tool
  5. current — happening now
  6. saw — the tool
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mark — a grade
  9. perch — the fish
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. race — humankind
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. mark — a trace
  14. race — a contest
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wound — an injury
  17. club — for golf
  18. staff — employees
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for dancing
  21. current — electric
  22. race — the arms race
  23. current — of water
  24. staff — employees

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