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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. firm — steady
  3. chest — of your body
  4. firm — a company
  5. suit — to fit
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. file — a document
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. suit — in cards
  10. band — a ring
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. suit — clothes
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. chest — of your body
  15. band — a music group
  16. firm — decided
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. file — a tool
  21. stem — to come from
  22. chest — a box
  23. file — a line of people
  24. stem — a stem cell

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