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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — decided
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. plane — a tool
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. fall — the season
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. kid — child
  12. kid — to tease
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. fall — to drop
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wake — a trail
  20. firm — steady
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — to wash
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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