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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. last — finally
  3. firm — steady
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lean — thin
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mug — to rob
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. mug — a face
  14. firm — a company
  15. shower — to wash
  16. last — final
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. mug — a cup
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. shower — rain
  22. last — to go on
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — to bend

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