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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. firm — decided
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. craft — a skill
  13. stem — to come from
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — a phone
  19. present — a gift
  20. firm — a company
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. march — the month
  23. cell — in biology
  24. craft — boats

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