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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. fall — to drop
  3. foot — a measure
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. suit — to fit
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. wind — moving air
  9. cell — a phone
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. suit — clothes
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. firm — steady
  16. wind — moving air
  17. cold — not warm
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cold — an illness
  20. suit — in cards
  21. firm — a company
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cell — in biology

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