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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. swing — in golf
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. firm — decided
  5. net — in sport
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. lie — to recline
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. net — for catching
  10. bank — for money
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — to play on
  14. content — the amount
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bank — of a river
  18. kick — in football
  19. firm — a company
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. content — happy
  22. net — after costs
  23. bank — for money
  24. deal — to handle

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