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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. file — a line of people
  3. firm — a company
  4. club — for golf
  5. file — a document
  6. wound — an injury
  7. face — to point toward
  8. firm — decided
  9. club — for dancing
  10. file — a tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. club — a group
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — army training
  19. wound — an injury
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. face — part of the head
  24. face — to confront

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