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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: bay · arm · deal · suit · mark · bear · pound · wound

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bear — the animal
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — to handle
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. mark — a trace
  20. suit — in cards
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bear — the animal
  23. suit — clothes
  24. mark — a grade

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