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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. swing — in golf
  4. firm — steady
  5. swing — music
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. snap — to click
  8. swing — to play on
  9. firm — a company
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. pass — a permit
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. rest — a break
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. firm — decided
  24. straw — a straw man

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