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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: rush · spell · wound · mouse · arm · present · content · stand

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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. arm — part of the body
  4. content — the amount
  5. spell — magic
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. content — happy
  14. rush — hurry
  15. present — the time now
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. spell — letters
  19. present — there
  20. present — a gift
  21. spell — a short time
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. stand — to bear
  24. mouse — the animal

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