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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. firm — a company
  9. bore — to tire
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. charge — electricity
  13. lean — thin
  14. degree — an amount
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — a price
  17. degree — from a university
  18. bore — to drill
  19. wound — an injury
  20. lean — to bend
  21. degree — temperature
  22. firm — decided
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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