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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. ball — a dance
  3. firm — decided
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. object — to protest
  6. firm — steady
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. band — a music group
  9. cell — a phone
  10. firm — a company
  11. object — an aim
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bound — tied together
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bound — certain
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bound — obliged
  18. tear — from crying
  19. object — a thing
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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