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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bass — the fish
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bass — low music
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. content — happy
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. lie — to recline
  16. stem — to come from
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. content — the amount
  20. firm — a company
  21. firm — steady
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. cold — not warm

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