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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. firm — a company
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. rash — a series
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. rash — hasty
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. firm — decided
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. firm — steady
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rock — music
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. straw — dry grass

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