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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. cold — an illness
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — in sport
  6. prune — to trim
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. present — a gift
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mug — to rob
  12. firm — a company
  13. present — the time now
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. mug — a face
  16. firm — steady
  17. net — after costs
  18. firm — decided
  19. vault — a safe
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. prune — to trim
  23. present — there
  24. cold — not warm

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