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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — a company
  3. march — music
  4. bore — to drill
  5. firm — decided
  6. cell — in biology
  7. march — the month
  8. race — a contest
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — a phone
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bore — to tire
  18. march — the month
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. fall — to drop
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. race — humankind

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