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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — steady
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. file — a line of people
  5. mark — a trace
  6. file — a tool
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — to tire
  13. kid — child
  14. bulb — for light
  15. firm — decided
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. kid — to tease
  21. file — a document
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. mark — a grade
  24. coach — a trainer

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