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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 116 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — decided
  3. pass — a permit
  4. saw — the tool
  5. spell — a short time
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. band — a ring
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. cue — a signal
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. cue — a hint
  12. band — a music group
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. face — to confront
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — letters
  17. firm — steady
  18. saw — the tool
  19. face — part of the head
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. face — to point toward
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. cue — for pool
  24. calf — a young animal

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