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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — a stick
  4. stand — to bear
  5. drill — a practice
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. staff — employees
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. drill — the tool
  12. present — there
  13. firm — steady
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. fork — in a road
  16. drill — army training
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. firm — a company
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. present — a gift
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. present — the time now

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