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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. rest — what's left
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. firm — a company
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. rest — a break
  7. march — music
  8. last — finally
  9. last — final
  10. fork — in a road
  11. march — the month
  12. object — an aim
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. march — the month
  15. object — a thing
  16. firm — decided
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. last — to go on
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. object — to protest
  24. rest — what's left

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