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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. swing — in golf
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rock — a stone
  6. mark — a trace
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — for pool
  9. rock — music
  10. track — a path
  11. wind — moving air
  12. swing — music
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mark — a grade
  15. wind — moving air
  16. swing — to play on
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. track — to keep track
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. track — a song
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cue — a signal
  24. wound — an injury

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