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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 116 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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. spring — of water
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. clip — for paper
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. clip — to cut
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — to play on
  10. spring — the season
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. firm — decided
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. clip — a video
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — goods
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. firm — a company
  24. swing — in golf

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