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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bound — obliged
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. firm — a company
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. stem — to come from
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. firm — steady
  10. bulb — for light
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. rest — a break
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bound — certain
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. rest — what's left
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bound — tied together
  20. dip — to sink
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. rest — what's left

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