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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. cap — a hat
  3. hand — help
  4. saw — the tool
  5. firm — decided
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cap — of ice
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. suit — clothes
  10. bear — the animal
  11. hand — in cards
  12. suit — to fit
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. last — finally
  15. bear — the animal
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. last — final
  18. firm — a company
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. suit — in cards
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. last — to go on
  23. cap — a lid
  24. bear — to put up with

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