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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. key — for a lock
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. lean — to bend
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. foot — a measure
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. scale — in music
  18. key — in music
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. lean — thin
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. 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