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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. plane — a tool
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. chest — of your body
  9. capital — money
  10. firm — decided
  11. chest — a box
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. firm — a company
  15. capital — a city
  16. chest — of your body
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. sharp — clever
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. foot — a measure
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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