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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. kid — child
  3. rock — music
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. firm — a company
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bound — obliged
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. firm — steady
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bound — tied together
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. kid — to tease
  21. mark — a grade
  22. bound — certain
  23. mark — a trace
  24. leaves — lets stay

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