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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. last — final
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. firm — a company
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the sport
  7. firm — decided
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. mine — for digging
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. last — finally
  16. shower — rain
  17. last — to go on
  18. bank — for money
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. shower — to wash
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bat — the animal
  23. firm — steady
  24. foot — a measure

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