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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. last — final
  3. land — a country
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. mate — a partner
  7. drill — a practice
  8. land — ground
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — a company
  11. last — finally
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. mate — to breed
  15. face — part of the head
  16. drill — army training
  17. face — to confront
  18. toast — bread
  19. face — to point toward
  20. last — to go on
  21. drill — the tool
  22. land — to come down
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. mate — a friend

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