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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. suit — to fit
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. key — for a lock
  5. suit — clothes
  6. firm — a company
  7. field — a subject
  8. cell — in biology
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. key — the most important part
  12. firm — decided
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. cell — a phone
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — for sport
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. key — in music
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. suit — in cards

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