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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: kick · row · stand · bank · firm · wound · perch · deal

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bank — for money
  3. row — to paddle
  4. firm — steady
  5. kick — in football
  6. bank — for money
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wound — an injury
  10. firm — decided
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. perch — the fish
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. deal — to handle
  16. stand — to bear
  17. row — a line
  18. firm — a company
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. bank — of a river
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. stand — on your feet

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