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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pop · bore · wound · spell · kick · ground · sharp · fine

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. spell — magic
  5. bore — to drill
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. fine — all right
  8. wound — an injury
  9. spell — letters
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. pop — soda
  12. bore — to tire
  13. sharp — clever
  14. wound — an injury
  15. kick — in football
  16. fine — high quality
  17. ground — the earth
  18. pop — to visit
  19. ground — crushed
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. pop — music
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. ground — a position

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