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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. game — a match
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. wound — an injury
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mark — a grade
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. game — wild animals
  20. mark — a trace
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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