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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. cold — an illness
  3. mine — for digging
  4. charge — in control
  5. suit — clothes
  6. branch — a division
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. cold — not warm
  13. suit — to fit
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. firm — decided
  16. suit — in cards
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. charge — a price
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. charge — electricity
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. firm — a company
  24. plane — a tool

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