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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fall — to drop
  7. firm — steady
  8. fall — to drop
  9. scale — size or range
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. tube — the underground
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. firm — a company
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a friend
  17. tube — a container
  18. mate — a partner
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. fall — the season
  21. hand — help
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. scale — in music

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