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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: straw · mouse · firm · arm · stick · present · season · shower

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. shower — to wash
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. present — the time now
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. firm — decided
  8. present — a gift
  9. shower — rain
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. season — of the year
  13. firm — steady
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. firm — a company
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. season — in sport
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. present — there

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