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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. pass — a permit
  3. row — a line
  4. wound — an injury
  5. deal — to handle
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. suit — to fit
  10. wound — an injury
  11. march — the month
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. suit — in cards
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. march — the month
  18. row — to paddle
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. march — music
  23. suit — clothes
  24. row — a quarrel

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