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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. march — the month
  3. lean — to bend
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to sink
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. march — the month
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cell — a phone
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. firm — steady
  13. spring — of water
  14. cell — in biology
  15. spring — the season
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. lean — thin
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. spring — a coil
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. march — music
  23. firm — a company
  24. lean — to rest against

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