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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. wound — an injury
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. stand — to bear
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. swing — music
  10. firm — decided
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. firm — steady
  15. pitch — completely
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. swing — in golf
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. swing — to play on
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. firm — a company

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