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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. last — final
  3. spell — magic
  4. present — a gift
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. ground — a position
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. last — finally
  9. ground — the earth
  10. object — an aim
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wound — an injury
  13. spell — a short time
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ground — crushed
  16. wound — an injury
  17. present — there
  18. object — a thing
  19. wake — a trail
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. present — the time now
  22. spell — letters
  23. object — to protest
  24. last — to go on

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