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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. present — there
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. hand — help
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. spell — magic
  10. wound — an injury
  11. prune — to trim
  12. hand — in cards
  13. wound — an injury
  14. present — a gift
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bulb — for light
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — a short time
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. prune — to trim
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. present — the time now
  23. bulb — for light
  24. prune — the fruit

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