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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — to bear
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. chest — a box
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. scale — size or range
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. chest — of your body
  16. firm — decided
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. chest — of your body
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — a price
  22. firm — steady
  23. tear — from crying
  24. firm — a company

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