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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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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: wound · saw · chest · bear · stick · suit · fan · present

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wound — an injury
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. present — there
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — in cards
  8. saw — the tool
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. saw — the tool
  13. present — the time now
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. present — a gift
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. chest — of your body
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. chest — a box

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