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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — decided
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. shower — rain
  6. season — of the year
  7. toast — bread
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. lean — thin
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. hand — in cards
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. shower — to wash
  17. lean — to bend
  18. firm — steady
  19. foot — a measure
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. hand — help
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. hand — part of the body

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