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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 124 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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. band — a music group
  4. chest — of your body
  5. last — finally
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bore — to drill
  10. stock — goods
  11. toast — bread
  12. firm — decided
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. firm — a company
  15. stem — to come from
  16. chest — a box
  17. chest — of your body
  18. last — to go on
  19. bore — to tire
  20. last — final
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. stock — shares

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