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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: coach · wound · present · spell · bark · season · firm · stick

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. season — of the year
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — magic
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. season — in sport
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — there
  14. firm — a company
  15. present — a gift
  16. firm — steady
  17. spell — a short time
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bark — to shout
  22. wound — an injury
  23. firm — decided
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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