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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. chair — a leader
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. object — a thing
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pop — soda
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. roll — a cake
  13. pop — music
  14. pound — a weight
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. pop — to visit
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. object — to protest
  21. roll — a list
  22. wake — a trail
  23. object — an aim
  24. nail — on a finger

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