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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 124 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. suit — to fit
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. suit — in cards
  5. object — an aim
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — decided
  10. spell — letters
  11. firm — steady
  12. object — a thing
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. spell — magic
  17. suit — clothes
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. snap — to click
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. spell — a short time
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. object — to protest

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