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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — a company
  3. vault — a safe
  4. firm — steady
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rush — hurry
  8. ground — a position
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. ground — the earth
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. content — the amount
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. ground — crushed
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. rash — a series
  20. content — happy
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rush — 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