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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: wake · firm · saw · trunk · object · snap · bound · wind

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. firm — a company
  3. saw — the tool
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wind — moving air
  8. saw — the tool
  9. object — an aim
  10. firm — decided
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. object — to protest
  13. wind — moving air
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bound — obliged
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bound — certain
  21. snap — to click
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bound — tied together
  24. firm — steady

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