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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. pitch — completely
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. lean — to bend
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. firm — a company
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. plane — a tool
  19. chip — to eat
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — thin
  22. chip — for betting
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. firm — steady

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