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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. club — for golf
  8. wound — an injury
  9. current — electric
  10. club — for dancing
  11. current — of water
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. firm — decided
  17. plane — a tool
  18. current — happening now
  19. club — a group
  20. chair — a leader
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. firm — a company
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. rush — a thrill

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