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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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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. rest — what's left
  3. firm — a company
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. ground — crushed
  6. wake — a trail
  7. fall — the season
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fall — to drop
  11. ground — the earth
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — to visit
  14. rest — a break
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pop — soda
  17. ground — a position
  18. firm — decided

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