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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for golf
  6. rush — hurry
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. club — for dancing
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — decided
  15. lie — to recline
  16. chip — for betting
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. squash — the sport
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. chip — to eat
  23. squash — to crush
  24. sharp — clever

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