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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  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 — decided
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. mark — a grade
  7. shower — to wash
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. shower — rain
  15. mark — a trace
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. firm — a company
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. firm — steady
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  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