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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. chest — of your body
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — in sport
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. face — to confront
  8. net — for catching
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. face — part of the head
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. face — to point toward
  16. firm — a company
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. stand — to bear
  22. firm — steady
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. temple — a place of worship

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