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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. firm — steady
  3. present — there
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. track — to keep track
  7. chair — a leader
  8. track — a song
  9. shower — rain
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. shower — to wash
  12. firm — decided
  13. bulb — for light
  14. track — a path
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. firm — a company
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. present — a gift

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