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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mark — a trace
  5. swing — in golf
  6. pop — to visit
  7. wound — an injury
  8. squash — the sport
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. pop — soda
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. squash — to crush
  16. tear — to rip
  17. pop — music
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. swing — music
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. mark — a grade
  24. tear — from crying

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