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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. drill — the tool
  4. pit — in a race
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. date — the fruit
  9. object — an aim
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. firm — decided
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. face — part of the head
  16. object — a thing
  17. face — to confront
  18. drill — army training
  19. face — to point toward
  20. pit — a hole
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. firm — a company
  23. object — to protest
  24. drill — a practice

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