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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. track — a path
  3. cap — a lid
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bass — low music
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. bass — the fish
  9. firm — a company
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. track — a song
  13. lean — to bend
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cap — a hat
  16. firm — decided
  17. cap — of ice
  18. track — to keep track

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