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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — decided
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. kick — in football
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. drill — a practice
  7. current — of water
  8. current — electric
  9. content — the amount
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. saw — the tool
  14. firm — a company
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. current — happening now
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. drill — army training
  20. pound — a weight
  21. saw — the tool
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — happy
  24. drill — the tool

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