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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. chest — a box
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bear — the animal
  10. band — a music group
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. band — a ring
  17. wind — moving air
  18. chest — of your body
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. chest — of your body
  22. prune — to trim
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. prune — to trim

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