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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. firm — steady
  4. bulb — for light
  5. last — finally
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. firm — a company
  9. pass — a permit
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. last — to go on
  13. bulb — for light
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. last — final
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. staff — employees
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — in sport
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. staff — employees
  24. firm — decided

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