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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — to confront
  4. track — a path
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bass — low music
  7. fine — high quality
  8. mine — for digging
  9. drill — the tool
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — thin
  13. bass — the fish
  14. track — a song
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. firm — a company
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. firm — decided
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. drill — a practice
  21. lean — to bend
  22. face — part of the head
  23. drill — army training
  24. fine — all right

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