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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  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 — decided
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wound — an injury
  4. spell — letters
  5. object — an aim
  6. firm — steady
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — magic
  9. mug — a cup
  10. object — to protest
  11. mug — a face
  12. rule — government
  13. tube — a container
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. land — ground
  18. land — to come down
  19. rule — a law
  20. firm — a company
  21. wound — an injury
  22. land — a country
  23. mug — to rob
  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