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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — steady
  5. cap — a hat
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. craft — boats
  9. firm — a company
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. pitch — completely
  13. chest — of your body
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cap — a lid
  18. chest — of your body
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. chest — a box
  24. temple — a place of worship

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