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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  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 — a straw man
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. prune — to trim
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — decided
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. key — the most important part
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. key — in music
  23. lash — to lash out
  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