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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. swing — to play on
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. band — a ring
  6. game — a match
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. rush — hurry
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. game — wild animals
  15. swing — music
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. firm — a company
  18. shower — to wash
  19. firm — steady
  20. swing — in golf
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. band — a music group
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. shower — rain

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