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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — a box
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. cap — a hat
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. foot — a measure
  9. cap — of ice
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. object — to protest
  13. cap — a lid
  14. object — a thing
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. object — an aim
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. chest — of your body
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. sharp — clever
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. dip — to sink
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. foot — the bottom

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