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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — decided
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. rule — government
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bank — for money
  8. bound — obliged
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bank — for money
  12. scale — size or range
  13. firm — a company
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. bank — of a river
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. scale — in music
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bound — certain
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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