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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 116 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — a company
  3. present — there
  4. rush — hurry
  5. prune — to trim
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. present — a gift
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. hand — help
  12. shower — rain
  13. drill — a practice
  14. prune — to trim
  15. hand — in cards
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. drill — army training
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. firm — steady
  22. present — the time now
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. drill — the tool

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