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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 120 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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bass — low music
  4. firm — steady
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stand — to bear
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. rest — a break
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. rest — what's left
  15. firm — decided
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. firm — a company
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bass — the fish
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. mine — for digging

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