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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. firm — steady
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. firm — decided
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pit — a hole
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. firm — a company
  11. drill — army training
  12. can — a tin
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — of the year
  15. season — in sport
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. drill — a practice
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. pit — in a race
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. drill — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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