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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. cold — not warm
  3. key — the most important part
  4. mug — to rob
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. foot — a measure
  9. mug — a face
  10. cold — an illness
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. can — to be able to
  13. key — for a lock
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. firm — a company
  16. can — a tin
  17. key — in music
  18. ground — the earth
  19. can — a tin
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — crushed
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. firm — steady
  24. mug — a cup

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