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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bass — low music
  5. bat — the animal
  6. firm — a company
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bass — the fish
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. tear — from crying
  11. lean — thin
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. branch — a division
  14. tear — to rip
  15. lean — to bend
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — hurry
  21. firm — decided
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. tear — from crying

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