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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.

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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. object — to protest
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. content — happy
  5. object — a thing
  6. firm — decided
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. chest — a box
  10. fine — high quality
  11. firm — a company
  12. swing — in golf
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. fine — all right
  15. object — an aim
  16. saw — the tool
  17. firm — steady
  18. content — the amount
  19. swing — music
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. swing — to play on
  24. content — videos and posts

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