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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. object — an aim
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — to wash
  7. firm — a company
  8. rule — a law
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rule — government
  11. object — a thing
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. firm — decided
  20. bat — the animal
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. object — to protest
  23. shower — rain
  24. dip — to sink

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