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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. drill — a practice
  4. firm — decided
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. stand — to bear
  9. drill — army training
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a match
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. spring — of water
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. rest — what's left
  17. spring — the season
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — steady
  21. rush — hurry
  22. drill — the tool
  23. spring — a coil
  24. stand — for spectators

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