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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pop — to visit
  4. drill — army training
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — music
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. hand — in cards
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. firm — decided
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. firm — a company
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. hand — help
  24. plane — a tool

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