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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. firm — steady
  4. present — there
  5. firm — decided
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rash — hasty
  8. present — a gift
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. tear — to rip
  12. bank — of a river
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bank — for money
  17. present — the time now
  18. firm — a company
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bank — for money
  23. rash — a series
  24. tear — from crying

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