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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 124 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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. staff — a stick
  3. firm — a company
  4. staff — employees
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — soda
  9. firm — decided
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. pop — music
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. kid — child
  14. toast — bread
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. staff — employees
  21. kid — to tease
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. firm — steady
  24. jam — a tight spot

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