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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — steady
  3. rule — government
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. content — happy
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. firm — a company
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. hand — in cards
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. key — the most important part
  16. hand — help
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — the amount
  19. key — for a lock
  20. rule — a law
  21. dip — to sink
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. key — in music
  24. rule — to rule out

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