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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rest — what's left
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bear — the animal
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. dip — to sink
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — farmland
  12. firm — a company
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rest — what's left
  15. tube — a container
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. firm — steady
  19. mine — for digging
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bear — the animal
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. rest — a break
  24. field — a subject

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