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

Word bank: race · rest · jam · straw · firm · roll · mug · dip

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. dip — to sink
  4. firm — steady
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. firm — decided
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. rest — a break
  9. mug — a cup
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. race — a contest
  12. firm — a company
  13. mug — to rob
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. race — the arms race
  17. mug — a face
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. roll — a list
  22. race — humankind
  23. rest — what's left
  24. roll — a cake

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