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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. firm — decided
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. firm — steady
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. key — in music
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. chair — a leader
  10. vault — a safe
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. key — for a lock
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. present — there
  15. squash — to crush
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. squash — the sport
  19. present — a gift
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. key — the most important part
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. firm — a company

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