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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. file — a line of people
  4. can — a tin
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. board — a committee
  8. firm — decided
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. object — to protest
  13. can — to be able to
  14. file — a tool
  15. bound — tied together
  16. firm — a company
  17. bound — certain
  18. file — a document
  19. object — a thing
  20. board — to get on
  21. can — a tin
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bound — obliged
  24. object — an aim

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