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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 116 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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bound — certain
  6. firm — decided
  7. board — a committee
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bass — low music
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. firm — a company
  12. tear — from crying
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. tear — from crying
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. fork — in a road
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bass — the fish
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. board — to get on
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. tear — to rip

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