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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. firm — steady
  3. cold — an illness
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. cold — not warm
  6. drill — army training
  7. ground — the earth
  8. kid — child
  9. drill — the tool
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. ground — a position
  12. suit — in cards
  13. drill — a practice
  14. firm — decided
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. firm — a company
  17. suit — clothes
  18. fine — high quality
  19. kid — to tease
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. ground — crushed
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. suit — to fit

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