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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. rule — a law
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. last — finally
  5. snap — to click
  6. rule — government
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. staff — a stick
  9. last — to go on
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. staff — employees
  15. pound — a weight
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. staff — employees
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. stand — to bear
  23. last — final
  24. rule — to rule out

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