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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wound — an injury
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bank — of a river
  6. firm — decided
  7. wound — an injury
  8. file — a line of people
  9. spell — a short time
  10. saw — the tool
  11. file — a document
  12. firm — steady
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. rest — a break
  16. spell — magic
  17. bank — for money
  18. spell — letters
  19. file — a tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. firm — a company
  23. bank — for money
  24. rest — what's left

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