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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. root — the cause
  6. stand — to bear
  7. chest — a box
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. cold — not warm
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bore — to tire
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cold — an illness
  15. plane — a tool
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. firm — steady
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. chest — of your body
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. firm — a company
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — of a plant

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