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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 120 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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. kid — child
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. firm — a company
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. rush — hurry
  8. can — a tin
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cold — not warm
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. cold — an illness
  18. firm — steady
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. ball — a dance

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