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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — help
  4. firm — decided
  5. rule — a law
  6. hand — in cards
  7. deal — to handle
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. sharp — clever
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — government
  12. firm — steady
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. firm — a company
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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