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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. fine — all right
  3. firm — decided
  4. fine — high quality
  5. drill — army training
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. drill — the tool
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. kid — child
  12. mug — to rob
  13. band — a ring
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. drill — a practice
  17. kid — to tease
  18. mug — a cup
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. mug — a face
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. firm — a company
  24. band — a music group

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