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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. rash — hasty
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mine — for digging
  5. craft — boats
  6. rash — a series
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bank — for money
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. squash — the sport
  12. wax — to grow
  13. rule — a law
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. rule — government
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. craft — a skill
  18. squash — to crush
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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