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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. mark — a trace
  3. firm — steady
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. firm — a company
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. race — humankind
  13. stand — to bear
  14. current — of water
  15. current — electric
  16. spring — of water
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — the arms race
  20. spring — the season
  21. firm — decided
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. current — happening now
  24. cabinet — ministers

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