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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bat — the animal
  6. mate — to breed
  7. firm — decided
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. stem — to come from
  11. mate — a friend
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. firm — a company
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. mate — a partner
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — to tease
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. mouse — the animal

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