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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: firm · rush · jam · sharp · date · chest · kid · straw

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. firm — a company
  9. kid — child
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. rush — hurry
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. kid — to tease
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. date — the fruit
  17. firm — decided
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. chest — a box
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. rush — to hurry

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