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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. firm — steady
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. firm — decided
  5. march — the month
  6. tear — from crying
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. kid — to tease
  12. ground — a position
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. march — the month
  16. tear — to rip
  17. staff — employees
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. firm — a company
  21. march — music
  22. ground — crushed
  23. kid — child
  24. tear — from crying

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