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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bat — the animal
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bank — of a river
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. firm — steady
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. kick — in football
  14. bank — for money
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. firm — a company
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bank — for money
  23. rock — music
  24. wound — an injury

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