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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 120 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. spell — magic
  3. rest — what's left
  4. court — of law
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. firm — a company
  8. rest — a break
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. spell — letters
  11. firm — decided
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. object — to protest
  15. face — to point toward
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. object — a thing
  18. court — of a king
  19. object — an aim
  20. face — part of the head
  21. spell — a short time
  22. court — for sport
  23. face — to confront
  24. rest — what's left

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