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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — decided
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mine — for digging
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — in a race
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. firm — a company
  21. vault — a safe
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. wake — a trail
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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