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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. firm — steady
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. firm — decided
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — to shout
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. spring — of water
  10. fall — the season
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. firm — a company
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. fall — to drop
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. spring — a coil
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. wound — an injury
  23. deal — to handle
  24. fall — to drop

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