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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. can — to be able to
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — a company
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. can — a tin
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. rash — a series
  14. can — a tin
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. spring — a coil
  17. vault — a safe
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — to eat
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. spring — of water
  22. spring — the season
  23. firm — decided
  24. rash — hasty

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