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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. firm — decided
  5. rule — a law
  6. cell — in biology
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — music
  9. stand — to bear
  10. firm — steady
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cell — a phone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. saw — the tool
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — a position
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — to rule out

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