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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. rock — music
  3. firm — steady
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rule — a law
  10. rash — a series
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. rock — a stone
  14. scale — in music
  15. rule — government
  16. firm — a company
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — size or range
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. rule — to rule out

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