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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 116 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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. band — a music group
  3. mate — a partner
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bear — the animal
  6. degree — from a university
  7. band — a ring
  8. degree — temperature
  9. degree — an amount
  10. mate — to breed
  11. pit — a hole
  12. mate — a friend
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. firm — decided
  19. rash — hasty
  20. firm — a company
  21. bear — the animal
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. rash — a series
  24. pit — in a race

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