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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. mug — to rob
  3. object — to protest
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. cold — not warm
  7. bulb — for light
  8. drill — a practice
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. bulb — for light
  11. object — an aim
  12. charge — electricity
  13. drill — the tool
  14. charge — in control
  15. firm — decided
  16. charge — a price
  17. object — a thing
  18. mug — a face
  19. drill — army training
  20. cold — an illness
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. firm — a company

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