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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. rule — government
  3. rest — a break
  4. wound — an injury
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. deal — to handle
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. firm — decided
  12. object — an aim
  13. row — a line
  14. object — to protest
  15. rest — what's left
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. rest — what's left
  18. firm — a company
  19. row — to paddle
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rule — a law
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. toast — bread
  24. object — a thing

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