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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. firm — a company
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. file — a document
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. cell — in biology
  8. firm — decided
  9. stand — to bear
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. firm — steady
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. spring — of water
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. spring — the season
  19. file — a tool
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. spring — a coil
  24. file — a line of people

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