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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. fine — high quality
  3. cold — not warm
  4. fine — all right
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. board — to get on
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — thin
  11. firm — decided
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. board — a committee
  15. cold — an illness
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. firm — steady

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