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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — decided
  3. band — a music group
  4. lie — to recline
  5. spell — a short time
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. band — a ring
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. spell — letters
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — in golf
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. swing — music
  20. firm — a company
  21. spell — magic
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pass — a permit
  24. fan — a supporter

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