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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bat — the animal
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. foot — a measure
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. kid — to tease
  8. dip — to sink
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. firm — decided
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. kid — child
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. deal — to handle
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. firm — a company
  22. bass — low music
  23. bass — the fish
  24. dip — to dunk

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