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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. season — in sport
  4. cell — a phone
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. swing — in golf
  8. season — of the year
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — to drill
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. foot — a measure
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. kid — child
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — to play on
  24. season — to add flavour

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