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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wound · bay · toast · wind · tear · present

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. wound — an injury
  7. present — there
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. present — the time now
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. tear — from crying
  14. present — a gift
  15. wind — moving air
  16. tear — to rip
  17. toast — bread
  18. wind — moving air

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