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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — a company
  3. wake — a trail
  4. perch — the fish
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rock — a stone
  10. current — of water
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. rock — music
  15. firm — steady
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. current — electric
  20. current — happening now
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bear — the animal

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