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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · lie · firm · last · rush · object · mate · pitch

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. lie — to recline
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. firm — steady
  6. mate — a friend
  7. object — to protest
  8. last — finally
  9. object — a thing
  10. last — final
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. firm — a company
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. firm — decided
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. pitch — completely
  22. object — an aim
  23. last — to go on
  24. rush — hurry

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