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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. foot — a measure
  6. current — electric
  7. current — happening now
  8. firm — decided
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. firm — steady
  13. bank — for money
  14. current — of water
  15. bear — the animal
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. firm — a company
  18. bank — for money
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bank — of a river
  21. court — of law
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of a king
  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