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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.

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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: firm · bear · snap · present · arm · chip · staff · wound

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. firm — steady
  3. staff — a stick
  4. wound — an injury
  5. firm — a company
  6. bear — the animal
  7. chip — for betting
  8. wound — an injury
  9. present — the time now
  10. staff — employees
  11. firm — decided
  12. snap — to click
  13. present — there
  14. bear — the animal
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. chip — to eat
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. present — a gift
  24. arm — a part of something

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