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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. rash — a series
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — a company
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. spell — a short time
  9. rash — hasty
  10. spell — magic
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. deal — to handle
  14. roll — a cake
  15. spell — letters
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. roll — a list
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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