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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. firm — a company
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bulb — for light
  6. firm — decided
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. content — happy
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. wound — an injury
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bulb — for light
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. content — the amount
  20. hand — help
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. hand — in cards
  24. firm — steady

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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