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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. staff — employees
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. staff — employees
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. firm — steady
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. craft — a skill
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bark — to shout
  17. firm — a company
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. mine — for digging
  20. craft — boats
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — a safe

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