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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. suit — in cards
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. firm — decided
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. staff — employees
  7. rash — hasty
  8. firm — a company
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. firm — steady
  11. rash — a series
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. suit — to fit
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — music
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. suit — clothes
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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