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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. firm — decided
  4. lean — to bend
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. charge — a price
  7. date — the fruit
  8. suit — in cards
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. firm — steady
  12. charge — in control
  13. firm — a company
  14. suit — to fit
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. cold — not warm
  19. charge — electricity
  20. suit — clothes
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. cold — an illness

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