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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. march — the month
  3. mine — for digging
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. spell — magic
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stand — to bear
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. spell — a short time
  17. march — music
  18. spell — letters
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. march — the month
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. rush — to hurry

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