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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. fall — to drop
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a great time
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. fall — the season
  10. wound — an injury
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to point toward
  13. perch — the fish
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. squash — to crush
  19. ball — a dance
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. board — to get on
  22. fall — to drop
  23. face — to confront
  24. squash — the sport

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