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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — decided
  3. rush — hurry
  4. march — music
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — to fit
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. field — a subject
  9. march — the month
  10. face — to point toward
  11. wind — moving air
  12. suit — clothes
  13. wind — moving air
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. face — to confront
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. lean — thin
  18. lean — to bend
  19. face — part of the head
  20. field — for sport
  21. march — the month
  22. firm — a company
  23. field — farmland
  24. lean — to rest against

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