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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.

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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. firm — decided
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. rash — a series
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. firm — a company
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. capital — a city
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. firm — steady
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. capital — money
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. bark — to shout

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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