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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. drill — a practice
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. firm — steady
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pound — a weight
  9. suit — clothes
  10. rash — a series
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — army training
  15. hand — help
  16. face — to point toward
  17. firm — a company
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to confront
  20. hand — in cards
  21. rash — hasty
  22. suit — in cards
  23. suit — to fit
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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