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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. firm — steady
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. firm — a company
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. tear — from crying
  7. fine — high quality
  8. tear — from crying
  9. cell — in biology
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. band — a ring
  12. rule — government
  13. band — a music group
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to click
  16. fine — all right
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. firm — decided
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. tear — to rip
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. rule — a law

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