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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. track — a path
  4. track — a song
  5. rule — government
  6. tube — the underground
  7. current — electric
  8. current — happening now
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. current — of water
  11. wind — moving air
  12. track — to keep track
  13. tube — a container
  14. foot — a measure
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. firm — steady
  19. rule — a law
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. firm — a company
  24. foot — part of the body

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