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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. track — a song
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. hand — help
  5. spell — letters
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. spell — magic
  8. can — a tin
  9. mug — a cup
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. firm — decided
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a path
  14. spell — a short time
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. firm — a company
  18. scale — size or range
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — to rob
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. hand — in cards
  24. arm — a part of something

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