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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — a company
  3. rush — hurry
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — there
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. fall — to drop
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. firm — decided
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. kick — in football
  14. fall — to drop
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. present — a gift
  17. fall — the season
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. rush — to hurry

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