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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.

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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — the sport
  6. wind — moving air
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. key — for a lock
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. court — for sport
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bark — to shout
  18. squash — to crush
  19. court — of law
  20. court — of a king
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. key — in music
  24. hide — animal skin

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