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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. object — a thing
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. object — to protest
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — decided
  10. object — an aim
  11. rash — hasty
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bat — the animal
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — thin
  18. pop — music
  19. rash — a series
  20. pop — soda
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pop — to visit

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