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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 116 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. current — of water
  3. content — happy
  4. firm — decided
  5. content — the amount
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. current — electric
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. can — a tin
  12. firm — a company
  13. chair — a leader
  14. can — a tin
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. can — to be able to
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. spring — the season
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. snap — to click
  21. spring — of water
  22. spring — a coil
  23. current — happening now
  24. chair — a professorship

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