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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bound — obliged
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — a measure
  7. fine — all right
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fine — high quality
  10. staff — a stick
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. wake — a trail
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bound — certain
  20. staff — employees
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bound — tied together
  24. staff — employees

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