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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — decided
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mark — a trace
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. land — ground
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. row — a line
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. swing — in golf
  16. land — a country
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. swing — music
  20. row — to paddle
  21. swing — to play on
  22. land — to come down
  23. firm — a company
  24. nail — for a hammer

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