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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. rash — a series
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. firm — steady
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. toast — bread
  10. last — finally
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. last — final
  14. cue — a hint
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — to wash
  17. rash — hasty
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. firm — decided
  21. last — to go on
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. toast — the most admired

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