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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. ground — the earth
  3. spell — a short time
  4. face — to confront
  5. firm — decided
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — help
  10. spell — magic
  11. craft — a skill
  12. degree — from a university
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. spell — letters
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. craft — boats
  18. degree — temperature
  19. face — to point toward
  20. degree — an amount
  21. face — part of the head
  22. ground — crushed
  23. firm — a company
  24. ground — a position

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