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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mug — a cup
  6. march — music
  7. lean — to bend
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. march — the month
  10. mate — a friend
  11. wound — an injury
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mine — for digging
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mug — a face
  17. lean — thin
  18. mate — a partner
  19. wake — a trail
  20. saw — the tool
  21. march — the month
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mine — an explosive

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