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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. mug — to rob
  3. march — music
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. mug — a face
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. mug — a cup
  16. march — the month
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. chip — to eat
  19. firm — decided
  20. march — the month
  21. firm — a company
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. chip — for betting

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