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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mug — a cup
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. firm — a company
  9. plane — a tool
  10. hand — help
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. saw — the tool
  17. firm — decided
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mug — a face
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. mug — to rob
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. plane — in geometry

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