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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. wound — an injury
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. rest — what's left
  7. scale — in music
  8. fine — high quality
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. can — to be able to
  12. rest — what's left
  13. can — a tin
  14. scale — size or range
  15. can — a tin
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. last — final
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. last — to go on
  20. rest — a break
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. last — finally
  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