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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 116 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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — decided
  3. row — a line
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. ground — crushed
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. ground — the earth
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. vault — a safe
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. wax — to grow
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. rush — hurry
  21. firm — a company
  22. ground — a position
  23. pitch — completely
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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