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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. club — for golf
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. firm — steady
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. firm — a company
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. lie — to recline
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. chair — a leader
  14. game — wild animals
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. club — for dancing
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. club — a group
  21. game — a match
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. deal — to handle
  24. lie — an untruth

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