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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. pop — to visit
  5. firm — decided
  6. drill — the tool
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mate — to breed
  9. firm — a company
  10. drill — army training
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. chest — a box
  13. pop — soda
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — a friend
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. drill — a practice
  20. pop — music
  21. rule — a law
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rule — government
  24. prune — to trim

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