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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. shower — to wash
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. shower — rain
  12. club — for golf
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — a trace
  16. wound — an injury
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — a group
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lie — to recline

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