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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. shower — rain
  3. file — a line of people
  4. ground — crushed
  5. present — the time now
  6. file — a tool
  7. rock — a stone
  8. drill — army training
  9. rock — music
  10. present — a gift
  11. firm — a company
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bound — certain
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — the tool
  16. ground — a position
  17. file — a document
  18. bound — tied together
  19. shower — to wash
  20. present — there
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bound — obliged
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. firm — decided

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