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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. present — there
  3. present — the time now
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — after costs
  6. bank — for money
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bank — of a river
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bank — for money
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — a company
  16. net — in sport
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. present — a gift
  19. track — a path
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a song
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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