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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. firm — a company
  3. present — the time now
  4. rest — what's left
  5. firm — decided
  6. net — in sport
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. rule — a law
  9. rest — a break
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. net — for catching
  12. chair — a leader
  13. present — there
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. rule — government
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — in music
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. present — a gift
  23. net — after costs
  24. firm — steady

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