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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. foot — a measure
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — soda
  9. wound — an injury
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — a box
  13. drill — the tool
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a great time
  16. drill — a practice
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. chest — of your body
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. drill — army training
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. pop — music
  23. snap — to click
  24. racket — for tennis

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