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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  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. spring — the season
  3. spring — of water
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. spring — a coil
  7. firm — decided
  8. kid — to tease
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. kid — child
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. firm — a company
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. drill — a practice
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. drill — army training
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fork — in a road
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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