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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. chest — of your body
  4. staff — a stick
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. staff — employees
  7. chest — a box
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. fall — to drop
  12. staff — employees
  13. firm — steady
  14. capital — money
  15. stand — to bear
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. firm — decided
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. chest — of your body
  22. fall — the season
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fall — to drop

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