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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 124 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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. game — wild animals
  3. branch — a division
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — an injury
  7. foot — a measure
  8. snap — to click
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. suit — in cards
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. game — a match
  18. suit — to fit
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — rain
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. suit — clothes
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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