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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  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. deal — a big deal
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. roll — a cake
  7. bear — the animal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. firm — decided
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. rest — what's left
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. firm — a company
  17. cold — not warm
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. rest — a break
  22. cold — an illness
  23. rest — what's left
  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