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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. object — an aim
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. stem — to come from
  6. firm — decided
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. file — a line of people
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. firm — steady
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. file — a document
  16. file — a tool
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. shower — rain
  19. object — a thing
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. shower — to wash
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. object — to protest

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