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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. mate — to breed
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. ground — a position
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. mate — a partner
  10. pound — a weight
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. firm — a company
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. stem — to come from
  18. ground — crushed
  19. mate — a friend
  20. ground — the earth
  21. chair — a leader
  22. firm — steady
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. fall — to drop

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