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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. firm — a company
  3. clip — for paper
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. spell — letters
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. clip — a video
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cue — a hint
  12. hand — help
  13. board — to get on
  14. firm — steady
  15. spell — magic
  16. firm — decided
  17. board — a committee
  18. spell — a short time
  19. cue — a signal
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. hand — in cards

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