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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cold — an illness
  4. chest — of your body
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. firm — decided
  8. lean — to bend
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bank — of a river
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. cold — not warm
  16. rock — a stone
  17. firm — steady
  18. lean — thin
  19. cap — a hat
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bank — for money
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. chest — a box
  24. bank — for money

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