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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. staff — employees
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. key — the most important part
  7. can — a tin
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. staff — employees
  11. firm — decided
  12. staff — a stick
  13. can — a tin
  14. key — for a lock
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. lean — thin
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. key — in music
  19. firm — steady
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. can — to be able to

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