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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. foot — a measure
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. wake — a trail
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — in music
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — clever
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. key — the most important part

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