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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. firm — steady
  5. scale — in music
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bound — tied together
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. firm — a company
  12. ball — a dance
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bound — certain
  20. scale — size or range
  21. firm — decided
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bound — obliged

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