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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. wake — a trail
  5. tube — a container
  6. firm — a company
  7. track — to keep track
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. firm — steady
  10. tube — the underground
  11. object — to protest
  12. track — a song
  13. track — a path
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. snap — to click
  17. object — a thing
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. firm — decided
  20. kid — to tease
  21. object — an aim
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. kid — child

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