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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. bound — tied together
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. pop — music
  6. fall — the season
  7. fall — to drop
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bound — certain
  10. drill — a practice
  11. pop — soda
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pop — to visit
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. drill — army training
  20. board — a committee
  21. bound — obliged
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. fall — to drop
  24. calf — a young animal

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