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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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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. present — there
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fine — all right
  8. band — a ring
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. fine — high quality
  13. present — a gift
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bark — to shout
  16. firm — a company
  17. present — the time now
  18. bear — the animal
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bound — certain
  21. band — a music group
  22. firm — decided
  23. bound — obliged
  24. fine — a penalty

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