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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. firm — a company
  3. present — there
  4. firm — steady
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. rush — hurry
  7. present — a gift
  8. firm — decided
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. cell — a phone
  13. wound — an injury
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bear — the animal
  17. present — the time now
  18. bear — the animal

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