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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 116 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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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: sharp · rash · lie · dip · wound · present · saw · last

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. present — there
  3. present — the time now
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. last — final
  9. rash — a series
  10. wound — an injury
  11. last — to go on
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. present — a gift
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. last — finally
  18. lie — to recline
  19. saw — the tool
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — to sink
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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