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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: content · jam · firm · leaves · capital · rush · mug · straw

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. mug — a face
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. mug — a cup
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. capital — a city
  9. firm — a company
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. firm — steady
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. content — happy
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. mug — to rob
  20. capital — money
  21. content — the amount
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. rush — a thrill

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