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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. object — an aim
  3. cap — a hat
  4. swing — in golf
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. object — to protest
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. swing — music
  10. tear — to rip
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cap — of ice
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. tear — from crying
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. cap — a lid
  17. firm — a company
  18. stand — to bear
  19. firm — decided
  20. swing — to play on
  21. saw — the tool
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. tear — from crying
  24. object — a thing

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