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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. rash — hasty
  3. file — a line of people
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. stand — to bear
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — of a word
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. capital — money
  14. rule — a law
  15. lie — to recline
  16. firm — steady
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. file — a document
  20. capital — a city
  21. rash — a series
  22. rule — government
  23. file — a tool
  24. firm — decided

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