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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. tear — to rip
  5. mark — a trace
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. pass — a permit
  8. wound — an injury
  9. tear — from crying
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. firm — steady
  12. tear — from crying
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. wind — moving air
  15. firm — decided
  16. mark — a grade
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. arm — a part of something

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