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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 124 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. firm — decided
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. firm — steady
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bound — tied together
  7. last — finally
  8. pop — to visit
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. firm — a company
  12. pop — soda
  13. band — a music group
  14. bound — certain
  15. last — final
  16. band — a ring
  17. bound — obliged
  18. rush — hurry
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. last — to go on
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pop — music
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. ruler — for measuring

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