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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. cap — a hat
  3. firm — decided
  4. rule — government
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bass — low music
  7. hand — help
  8. stand — to bear
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. cap — of ice
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. cap — a lid
  14. firm — steady
  15. net — for catching
  16. net — in sport
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. net — after costs
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. rule — a law
  22. bass — the fish
  23. firm — a company
  24. hand — part of the 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