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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. rule — a law
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. firm — a company
  7. tear — to rip
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. pass — a permit
  10. rule — government
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. firm — steady
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bear — the animal
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a great time
  22. tear — from crying
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. mouse — the animal

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