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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. lean — thin
  4. squash — the sport
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — a company
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. charge — electricity
  11. firm — decided
  12. charge — a price
  13. lean — to bend
  14. capital — a city
  15. wound — an injury
  16. capital — money
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. charge — in control
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. squash — to crush
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. squash — the vegetable

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