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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — a company
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pound — a weight
  5. rule — a law
  6. fork — in a road
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. fall — the season
  9. march — the month
  10. firm — steady
  11. rule — government
  12. march — the month
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. march — music
  16. wind — moving air
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. fall — to drop
  24. nail — for a hammer

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