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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. lean — to bend
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. key — the most important part
  6. lean — thin
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. firm — steady
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. clip — to cut
  11. clip — a video
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. firm — a company
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. key — in music
  19. bark — to shout
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. band — a ring
  23. clip — for paper
  24. band — a music group

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