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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. degree — from a university
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. pitch — completely
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. degree — an amount
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — bread
  10. firm — decided
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. kid — child
  15. degree — temperature
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. kid — to tease
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. firm — a company
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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