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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. wake — a trail
  3. spring — the season
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. firm — steady
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. chest — a box
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. chest — of your body
  13. spring — a coil
  14. chest — of your body
  15. spring — of water
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. firm — a company
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. rest — a break
  24. bowl — to roll

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