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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — a series
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mate — a partner
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. firm — steady
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. firm — a company
  12. branch — a division
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a line
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. mate — to breed
  17. tube — a container
  18. mate — a friend
  19. tube — the underground
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. branch — of a bank

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