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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 124 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — decided
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. toast — bread
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. field — for sport
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. firm — a company
  18. hand — in cards
  19. field — farmland
  20. hand — help
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. bear — the animal
  23. field — a subject
  24. bowl — a football final

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