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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 116 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — for sport
  4. saw — the tool
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. firm — a company
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. firm — steady
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. prune — to trim
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. firm — decided
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. prune — to trim
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — to wash
  24. court — of law

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