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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — part of the head
  4. firm — decided
  5. row — a line
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rest — what's left
  10. deal — to handle
  11. row — to paddle
  12. cue — a signal
  13. current — of water
  14. face — to point toward
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. cue — a hint
  17. rule — government
  18. rest — a break
  19. cue — for pool
  20. rest — what's left
  21. firm — a company
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — electric

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