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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. firm — a company
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. firm — decided
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. mine — for digging
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. firm — steady
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. rule — government
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mark — a grade
  19. net — in sport
  20. rule — a law
  21. net — for catching
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. net — after costs

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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