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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. fine — high quality
  5. firm — decided
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bat — the animal
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. pass — a permit
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. swing — music
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — a company
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. kick — in football
  22. swing — to play on
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. swing — in golf

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