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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. firm — steady
  3. bound — certain
  4. deal — to handle
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. last — finally
  7. firm — a company
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bound — obliged
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. chest — of your body
  14. firm — decided
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. stand — to bear
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. last — to go on
  20. last — final
  21. chest — a box
  22. bound — tied together
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. chest — of your body

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