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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. season — in sport
  3. firm — decided
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. firm — a company
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. current — happening now
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. shower — rain
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mine — for digging
  17. current — of water
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — of the year
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. current — electric
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. shower — to wash

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