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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bass — the fish
  4. face — to point toward
  5. face — part of the head
  6. game — a match
  7. suit — to fit
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. firm — decided
  10. suit — clothes
  11. season — in sport
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bass — low music
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. face — to confront
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. wound — an injury
  20. season — of the year
  21. wound — an injury
  22. suit — in cards
  23. firm — a company
  24. hide — to keep secret

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