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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. object — a thing
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. last — finally
  5. last — final
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. firm — a company
  9. object — to protest
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. charge — a price
  12. bore — to tire
  13. last — to go on
  14. ball — a dance
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bore — to drill
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. rock — music
  20. firm — decided
  21. ball — a great time
  22. object — an aim
  23. charge — in control
  24. rock — a stone

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