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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bat — the animal
  6. firm — decided
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. spell — a short time
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. firm — a company
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. spell — magic
  15. lie — to recline
  16. spell — letters
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — soda
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. deal — to handle
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. pop — to visit

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