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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  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. rest — what's left
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. rest — a break
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. charge — in control
  8. chip — to eat
  9. wind — moving air
  10. chip — for betting
  11. present — the time now
  12. charge — a price
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. rest — what's left
  17. present — there
  18. wind — moving air
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. present — a gift
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. foot — a measure
  23. charge — electricity
  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