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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — to rob
  3. firm — a company
  4. press — to push
  5. firm — steady
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. last — final
  11. firm — decided
  12. press — newspapers
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. foot — a measure
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. mug — a face
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. last — to go on
  20. press — a publisher
  21. last — finally
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. rest — what's left

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