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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 116 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: present · firm · coach · row · sharp · bear · content · lash

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. present — a gift
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. row — a line
  6. firm — a company
  7. bear — the animal
  8. sharp — clever
  9. present — there
  10. row — to paddle
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. firm — steady
  13. present — the time now
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. content — happy
  16. bear — the animal
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. firm — decided
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. content — the amount
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. content — videos and posts

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