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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a lid
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bound — obliged
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bound — tied together
  10. chair — a leader
  11. bound — certain
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. fall — to drop
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. firm — steady
  16. fall — to drop
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. firm — a company
  20. fall — the season
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. cap — a hat
  24. pound — a weight

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