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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.

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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. saw — the tool
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — decided
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. land — to come down
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. foot — a measure
  10. land — a country
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. branch — a division
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wound — an injury
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. land — ground
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. wound — an injury

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