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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. roll — a list
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. fork — in a road
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. fall — to drop
  13. deal — to handle
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. firm — steady
  16. fall — the season
  17. ground — crushed
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. firm — a company
  20. ground — the earth
  21. fall — to drop
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. roll — a cake
  24. ground — a position

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