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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. root — of a word
  6. firm — a company
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. fine — high quality
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — decided
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — a permit
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. root — the cause
  17. band — a ring
  18. root — of a plant
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. band — a music group
  22. foot — a measure
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. straw — dry grass

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