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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. shower — rain
  3. lean — thin
  4. tube — the underground
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. cue — a signal
  8. tube — a container
  9. shower — to wash
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. cue — for pool
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. mark — a trace
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. saw — the tool
  18. lean — to bend
  19. cue — a hint
  20. firm — a company
  21. mark — a grade
  22. firm — steady
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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