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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 116 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
468
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: mine · scale · straw · snap · firm · rock · row · fine

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. row — to paddle
  4. scale — in music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. mine — for digging
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. fine — high quality
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. fine — all right
  13. snap — to click
  14. firm — decided
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. rock — music
  18. firm — a company
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. row — a line
  23. rock — a stone
  24. scale — size or range

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