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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cold — not warm
  8. bear — the animal
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cold — an illness
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — to point toward
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. firm — steady
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. firm — a company
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. ruler — a monarch

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