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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 124 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. track — a song
  3. kid — to tease
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. track — a path
  6. shower — to wash
  7. pop — soda
  8. firm — a company
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. object — an aim
  12. pop — to visit
  13. shower — rain
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. track — to keep track
  16. firm — steady
  17. date — the fruit
  18. object — a thing
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. pop — music
  22. kid — child
  23. object — to protest
  24. wave — of the sea

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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