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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — decided
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bound — tied together
  6. game — wild animals
  7. race — the arms race
  8. firm — a company
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. race — a contest
  11. game — a match
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. bound — obliged
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. tube — the underground
  18. race — humankind
  19. vault — a safe
  20. tube — a container
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bound — certain

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