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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a grade
  6. rash — hasty
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. band — a music group
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. band — a ring
  15. firm — steady
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rash — a series
  19. firm — a company
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. lie — to recline
  23. date — the fruit
  24. mark — a trace

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