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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: pit · firm · foot · straw · wake · cold · lean · ruler

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. firm — decided
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. pit — a hole
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. wake — a trail
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. foot — a measure
  13. firm — steady
  14. pit — in a race
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. firm — a company
  18. lean — to bend
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. cold — not warm
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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