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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: saw · wound · dip · tear · present · game · foot · firm

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. present — there
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. tear — from crying
  6. firm — a company
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. present — a gift
  9. tear — from crying
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. dip — to sink
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. game — a match
  15. firm — steady
  16. tear — to rip
  17. foot — a measure
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. firm — decided
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. present — the time now
  24. saw — the tool

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