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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — decided
  3. hand — in cards
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. lean — thin
  6. mark — a trace
  7. cap — of ice
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cap — a hat
  10. tear — from crying
  11. lean — to bend
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. tear — to rip
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. pound — a weight
  18. mark — a grade
  19. hand — help
  20. firm — steady
  21. tear — from crying
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. cap — a lid
  24. lean — to rest against

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