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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: bear · stand · firm · bass · wound · snap · fall · court

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. court — for sport
  3. fall — to drop
  4. court — of law
  5. bear — the animal
  6. court — of a king
  7. fall — to drop
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bass — low music
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bass — the fish
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. firm — steady
  16. fall — the season
  17. firm — a company
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. firm — decided
  23. wound — an injury
  24. stand — to bear

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