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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 120 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — decided
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. spell — magic
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. stem — to come from
  13. tear — to rip
  14. chip — for betting
  15. spell — a short time
  16. pit — a hole
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. spell — letters
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bat — the animal
  21. tear — from crying
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. firm — a company
  24. pit — in a race

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