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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bound — obliged
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wind — moving air
  5. present — the time now
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — certain
  10. firm — decided
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. firm — a company
  16. wind — moving air
  17. present — there
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. present — a gift
  21. wound — an injury
  22. firm — steady
  23. season — in sport
  24. hide — to keep secret

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