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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. cue — for pool
  4. lie — to recline
  5. cue — a signal
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rock — music
  8. firm — a company
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. scale — in music
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. craft — a skill
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. rock — a stone
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. craft — boats
  17. cue — a hint
  18. firm — decided
  19. scale — size or range
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. rock — to move gently

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