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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. firm — a company
  3. last — to go on
  4. firm — decided
  5. squash — to crush
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. squash — the sport
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. last — final
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. lean — thin
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. branch — a division
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. fork — in a road
  17. lean — to bend
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. last — finally
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. firm — steady
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. racket — a loud noise

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