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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. firm — steady
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. firm — decided
  6. last — finally
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. last — to go on
  15. last — final
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. straw — dry grass

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