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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. rash — hasty
  3. last — to go on
  4. suit — in cards
  5. firm — decided
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. ball — a great time
  11. rash — a series
  12. firm — a company
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — music
  15. chair — a leader
  16. ball — a dance
  17. swing — in golf
  18. firm — steady
  19. last — final
  20. suit — to fit
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. suit — clothes

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