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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 116 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. race — humankind
  3. key — in music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — steady
  7. race — the arms race
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bound — obliged
  10. rock — a stone
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bound — certain
  13. staff — employees
  14. firm — a company
  15. bound — tied together
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. race — a contest
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — a stick
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. rock — music

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