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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. cell — a phone
  3. wound — an injury
  4. firm — decided
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — a trace
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. firm — steady
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. cell — in biology
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. bass — low music
  18. tear — from crying
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. tear — from crying
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bass — the fish
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. tear — to rip

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