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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — steady
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. spell — a short time
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — magic
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. press — to push
  12. press — newspapers
  13. firm — a company
  14. plane — a tool
  15. game — wild animals
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. game — a match
  18. press — a publisher
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — humankind
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. race — the arms race

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