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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. mug — to rob
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. last — to go on
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. mug — a face
  8. last — finally
  9. foot — a measure
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. last — final
  12. bat — the animal
  13. mug — a cup
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. firm — steady
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. firm — decided
  24. straw — a straw man

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