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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. firm — steady
  3. lean — thin
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. firm — decided
  7. present — the time now
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. present — there
  13. kid — child
  14. kid — to tease
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. firm — a company
  18. present — a gift
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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