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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 120 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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. firm — decided
  3. cap — a hat
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. firm — a company
  6. bound — obliged
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bound — tied together
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. cap — a lid
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cap — of ice
  18. firm — steady
  19. shower — rain
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bound — certain
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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