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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 124 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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. cold — an illness
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. content — happy
  6. content — the amount
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — a group
  9. mark — a trace
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cold — not warm
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. club — for dancing
  14. firm — decided
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mark — a grade
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — boats
  20. firm — a company
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. craft — a skill

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