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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. firm — decided
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. cell — in biology
  13. wake — a trail
  14. rule — government
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. rule — a law
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. firm — a company
  22. bat — the animal
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. cell — a phone

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