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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. wound — an injury
  3. clip — to cut
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. clip — for paper
  8. bear — the animal
  9. firm — steady
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. firm — a company
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. mark — a trace
  15. firm — decided
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. suit — to fit
  20. wound — an injury
  21. clip — a video
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. suit — clothes

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