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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. firm — decided
  4. scale — in music
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. chair — a leader
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. firm — a company
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. drill — the tool
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — army training
  18. firm — steady
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. scale — size or range
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. straw — dry grass

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