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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. last — final
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. drill — a practice
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. last — finally
  12. drill — army training
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. wound — an injury
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. last — to go on
  20. drill — the tool
  21. firm — decided
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. wound — an injury
  24. firm — a company

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