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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: toast · race · stick · stand · spell · mug · firm · straw

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. firm — a company
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mug — to rob
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. mug — a face
  7. spell — letters
  8. firm — decided
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — to bear
  11. firm — steady
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. race — a contest
  17. race — the arms race
  18. spell — a short time
  19. mug — a cup
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. toast — bread
  22. spell — magic
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. race — humankind

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