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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. firm — decided
  5. rest — a break
  6. firm — a company
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rush — hurry
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rest — what's left
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rest — what's left
  23. firm — steady
  24. rush — a thrill

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