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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. mug — to rob
  5. lean — thin
  6. mug — a cup
  7. firm — steady
  8. track — to keep track
  9. sharp — clever
  10. perch — the fish
  11. mark — a trace
  12. drill — army training
  13. mark — a grade
  14. lean — to bend
  15. track — a path
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. firm — a company
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — a practice
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. track — a song
  23. mug — a face
  24. mark — to pay attention

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