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

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. mark — a trace
  10. rush — hurry
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. ball — a dance
  13. drill — the tool
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. drill — army training
  17. ball — a great time
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. mark — a grade
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. drill — a practice
  24. foot — a measure

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