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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. row — to paddle
  3. firm — decided
  4. land — ground
  5. saw — the tool
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. land — a country
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — a coil
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. saw — the tool
  16. hand — help
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. row — a line
  19. spring — the season
  20. land — to come down
  21. firm — a company
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. hand — in cards

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