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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wound — an injury
  4. ground — crushed
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bass — low music
  7. branch — a division
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. ground — the earth
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. ground — a position
  17. rule — a law
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rule — government
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — the time now
  23. wound — an injury
  24. present — there

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