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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — decided
  3. object — an aim
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. pound — a weight
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. field — for sport
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. object — a thing
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. bulb — for light
  16. firm — a company
  17. object — to protest
  18. field — a subject
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. field — farmland
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. fork — in a road

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