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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 116 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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. firm — decided
  3. rest — a break
  4. ground — a position
  5. pop — music
  6. firm — a company
  7. cold — not warm
  8. lean — thin
  9. ground — the earth
  10. lean — to bend
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. rest — what's left
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. pop — to visit
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pop — soda
  20. cold — an illness
  21. ground — crushed
  22. firm — steady
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — to come from

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