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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. cell — in biology
  5. rash — a series
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. rule — a law
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — low music
  11. wound — an injury
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. cold — an illness
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cold — not warm
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. rule — government
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. safe — out of danger

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