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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. suit — in cards
  3. wound — an injury
  4. spell — a short time
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. face — to confront
  7. mark — a trace
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bore — to drill
  10. mark — a grade
  11. spell — letters
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. suit — to fit
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bore — to tire
  16. fork — in a road
  17. face — to point toward
  18. spell — magic
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. suit — clothes
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — a garden tool

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