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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rock — a stone
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. rock — music
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. firm — decided
  9. root — of a word
  10. bank — for money
  11. rule — government
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. rule — a law
  14. firm — a company
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. mine — for digging
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bank — of a river
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bank — for money
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a plant

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