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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 · stick · safe · saw · rash · last · hand · wound

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bear — the animal
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. hand — in cards
  7. saw — the tool
  8. last — final
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. rash — a series
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rash — hasty
  14. last — to go on
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. hand — help
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. last — finally
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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