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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. firm — steady
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. key — in music
  6. mug — a cup
  7. firm — a company
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. mark — a trace
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. mug — a face
  13. mark — a grade
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. key — for a lock
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — goods
  19. lean — thin
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. tube — a container
  22. firm — decided
  23. key — the most important part
  24. lean — to bend

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