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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — steady
  3. bulb — for light
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bulb — for light
  9. firm — a company
  10. march — the month
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bank — for money
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. bank — for money
  23. sharp — clever
  24. nail — on a finger

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