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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 116 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. firm — a company
  3. wound — an injury
  4. firm — steady
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wake — a trail
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. firm — decided
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. fall — to drop
  13. sharp — clever
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. plane — a tool
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — a weight
  24. wake — before a funeral

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