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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. firm — decided
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. scale — in music
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. firm — a company
  8. spring — of water
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. roll — a list
  12. present — there
  13. roll — a cake
  14. firm — steady
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. present — a gift
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. spring — the season
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. scale — size or range
  22. spring — a coil
  23. present — the time now
  24. straw — a straw man

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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