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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 120 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. firm — a company
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. last — to go on
  6. firm — steady
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bat — the animal
  11. last — finally
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. last — final
  16. firm — decided
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bank — of a river

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