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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. land — a country
  3. firm — decided
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — ground
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bore — to tire
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. swing — to play on
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bass — the fish
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a document
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. swing — music
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. swing — in golf
  19. firm — a company
  20. bass — low music
  21. bore — to drill
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. temple — side of the head

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