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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. fall — to drop
  3. firm — a company
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. drill — the tool
  6. firm — steady
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. fall — to drop
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. firm — decided
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. drill — army training
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — there
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. drill — a practice
  23. fall — the season
  24. present — a gift

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