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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. squash — the sport
  3. firm — steady
  4. clip — a video
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. clip — to cut
  8. bank — for money
  9. wound — an injury
  10. current — electric
  11. mark — a grade
  12. row — a line
  13. bank — of a river
  14. current — of water
  15. squash — to crush
  16. row — to paddle
  17. clip — for paper
  18. firm — a company
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bank — for money
  21. current — happening now
  22. firm — decided
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. wound — an injury

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