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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 120 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cold — an illness
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fine — all right
  9. lean — thin
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. lean — to bend
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cold — not warm
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — to get on
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. firm — decided
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. firm — a company
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. board — a committee
  24. fine — a penalty

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