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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. firm — decided
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. firm — a company
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — a tool
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. clip — to cut
  20. clip — for paper
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — in cards
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. clip — a video

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