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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pit — in a race
  4. firm — a company
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. race — humankind
  9. scale — in music
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. race — a contest
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. scale — size or range
  18. firm — decided
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bore — to tire

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