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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — in football
  4. charge — electricity
  5. cap — a lid
  6. staff — employees
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. charge — in control
  10. staff — employees
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a hat
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. staff — a stick
  15. fork — in a road
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. dip — to sink
  18. foot — a measure
  19. charge — a price
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. dip — a sauce

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