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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. charge — a price
  4. pop — to visit
  5. firm — a company
  6. wound — an injury
  7. last — to go on
  8. rock — a stone
  9. last — final
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. charge — electricity
  13. pop — soda
  14. rush — hurry
  15. firm — decided
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. last — finally
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rock — music
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. charge — in control
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pop — music
  24. trunk — of a car

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