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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. last — final
  3. cold — an illness
  4. bound — obliged
  5. last — to go on
  6. mate — to breed
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bound — tied together
  12. firm — a company
  13. branch — a division
  14. firm — decided
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. last — finally
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — a partner
  22. cold — not warm
  23. bound — certain
  24. branch — of a bank

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