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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — a company
  3. squash — to crush
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. firm — decided
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. scale — size or range
  8. hand — help
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. shower — rain
  13. scale — in music
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. hand — in cards
  21. rush — hurry
  22. squash — the sport
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. shower — to wash

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