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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. march — the month
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. firm — a company
  9. lie — to recline
  10. march — the month
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — a skill
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. kick — in football
  15. squash — to crush
  16. cold — not warm
  17. craft — boats
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. cold — an illness
  20. squash — the sport
  21. march — music
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. firm — steady

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