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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. scale — in music
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. firm — decided
  8. firm — steady
  9. season — of the year
  10. chair — a leader
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. wound — an injury
  14. stem — to come from
  15. scale — size or range
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. season — in sport
  22. wound — an injury
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. firm — a company

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