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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fine — all right
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. fine — high quality
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. fork — in a road
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. firm — decided
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bark — to shout
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. firm — a company
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. fork — to eat with

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