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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. degree — from a university
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. firm — steady
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. pass — a permit
  11. degree — an amount
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rush — hurry
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. firm — a company
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. degree — temperature
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. temple — a place of worship

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