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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — a company
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. spring — a coil
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. firm — steady
  7. spring — of water
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. shower — to wash
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bulb — for light
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. shower — rain
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bass — low music
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bulb — for light
  22. spring — the season
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bulb — of a plant

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