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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — a series
  4. wind — moving air
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. foot — a measure
  7. pass — a permit
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. chair — a leader
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. rash — hasty
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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