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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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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: wake · bay · sharp · bear · mark · ball · firm · wound

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. sharp — clever
  5. firm — decided
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. wake — a trail
  15. mark — a grade
  16. firm — a company
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. ball — a great time
  22. firm — steady
  23. wound — an injury
  24. sharp — with an edge

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