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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 120 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — a thing
  4. suit — to fit
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — the time now
  8. suit — clothes
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. mine — for digging
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wake — a trail
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. suit — in cards
  16. object — to protest
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. wound — an injury
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. wound — an injury

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