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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. rest — a break
  3. firm — decided
  4. net — in sport
  5. branch — a division
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. object — a thing
  8. rest — what's left
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. net — for catching
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. firm — a company
  13. object — to protest
  14. firm — steady
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. net — after costs
  19. object — an aim
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. date — the fruit
  24. rest — what's left

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