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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: wound · perch · wind · firm · object · lean · rest · stick

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wind — moving air
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — a thing
  5. rest — what's left
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. wind — moving air
  8. lean — thin
  9. rest — what's left
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — steady
  12. lean — to bend
  13. perch — the fish
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. firm — a company
  22. wound — an injury
  23. object — to protest
  24. rest — a break

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