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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 be taking the ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. firm — decided
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bass — the fish
  5. firm — steady
  6. bound — tied together
  7. face — part of the head
  8. swing — in golf
  9. bear — the animal
  10. tube — a container
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bass — low music
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bear — the animal
  16. swing — to play on
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. face — to confront
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. firm — a company
  21. swing — music
  22. bound — certain
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — thin

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