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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. firm — decided
  5. mug — to rob
  6. firm — a company
  7. craft — boats
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. charge — electricity
  11. tube — a container
  12. mug — a face
  13. craft — a skill
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — to rip
  17. charge — in control
  18. root — of a word
  19. tear — from crying
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a plant
  22. mug — a cup
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. charge — a price

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