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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. game — wild animals
  6. staff — employees
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. shower — rain
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. game — a match
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. staff — a stick
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. shower — to wash
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. staff — employees
  24. hide — animal skin

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