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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 120 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. firm — steady
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. firm — decided
  12. fine — all right
  13. cap — a hat
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. firm — a company
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cap — of ice
  19. wake — a trail
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. fine — high quality
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. sharp — clever
  24. kick — a thrill

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