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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — decided
  3. object — a thing
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. drill — a practice
  6. wind — moving air
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. roll — a cake
  9. wind — moving air
  10. cap — a lid
  11. foot — a measure
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. cap — a hat
  15. object — an aim
  16. cap — of ice
  17. roll — a list
  18. drill — army training
  19. bear — the animal
  20. firm — a company
  21. bear — the animal
  22. object — to protest
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. drill — the tool

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