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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. fine — high quality
  6. firm — steady
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. staff — a stick
  10. roll — a cake
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. fine — all right
  14. rock — music
  15. staff — employees
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. rock — a stone
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. firm — a company
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. staff — employees
  22. roll — a list
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. rock — to move gently

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