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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 124 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. present — there
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. object — a thing
  6. object — to protest
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — a gift
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. object — an aim
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. firm — steady
  16. shower — rain
  17. fall — the season
  18. rule — a law
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rule — government
  21. firm — decided
  22. bark — to shout
  23. shower — to wash
  24. firm — a company

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