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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. rock — music
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — steady
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. lie — to recline
  10. pass — a permit
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. can — a tin
  13. rock — a stone
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. track — a song
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. wake — a trail
  18. track — a path
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. track — to keep track
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. pass — to spend time

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