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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 116 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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. land — a country
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. cold — not warm
  7. press — a publisher
  8. cold — an illness
  9. firm — decided
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. land — to come down
  12. press — newspapers
  13. pop — soda
  14. land — ground
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. press — to push
  17. pop — music
  18. bass — low music
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. firm — a company
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — the fish
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pop — to visit

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