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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.

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: perch · spell · wound · ground · bay · present · firm · hand

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. present — a gift
  4. hand — help
  5. firm — decided
  6. spell — magic
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. firm — steady
  13. spell — a short time
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. hand — in cards
  17. ground — the earth
  18. present — the time now
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. spell — letters
  22. firm — a company
  23. ground — a position
  24. present — there

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