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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 116 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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — high quality
  3. firm — decided
  4. object — a thing
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — of water
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bound — certain
  9. wake — a trail
  10. fine — all right
  11. object — an aim
  12. firm — a company
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — a phone
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. bound — tied together
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bound — obliged
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. object — to protest
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. firm — steady
  24. pass — a permit

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