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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. degree — an amount
  5. fall — the season
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. degree — temperature
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. firm — steady
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fine — high quality
  16. degree — from a university
  17. fine — all right
  18. firm — decided
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. firm — a company
  21. fall — to drop
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. chair — a leader
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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