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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — in music
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. firm — decided
  7. ground — a position
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. ground — crushed
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. stand — to bear
  13. cell — a phone
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. cell — in biology
  18. firm — a company
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. ground — the earth
  22. key — for a lock
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. chair — a leader

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