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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. firm — a company
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. firm — steady
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. row — to paddle
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. row — a line
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. game — a match
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. chair — a leader
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. firm — decided
  20. game — wild animals
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. straw — a straw man

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