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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. present — a gift
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. present — there
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. row — a line
  7. present — the time now
  8. row — to paddle
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — decided
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — to crush
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. squash — the sport
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. pitch — completely
  23. staff — employees
  24. lash — an eyelash

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