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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 120 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — a company
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bank — for money
  5. bound — tied together
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. firm — steady
  9. mate — a partner
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bank — for money
  15. wound — an injury
  16. craft — boats
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bank — of a river
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bound — obliged
  21. mate — to breed
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bound — certain
  24. wind — to turn a key

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