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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. fall — to drop
  3. roll — a cake
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. firm — decided
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. key — the most important part
  8. rest — a break
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. key — for a lock
  11. mark — a grade
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. fall — the season
  14. rash — a series
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mark — a trace
  18. rash — hasty
  19. key — in music
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. firm — steady
  22. roll — a list
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. fall — to drop

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