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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. stand — to bear
  3. saw — the tool
  4. craft — a skill
  5. saw — the tool
  6. spring — of water
  7. firm — a company
  8. spring — a coil
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. spring — the season
  11. branch — a division
  12. charge — electricity
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. charge — in control
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. charge — a price
  17. firm — decided
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. craft — boats
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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