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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. band — a music group
  5. cell — in biology
  6. foot — a measure
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rush — hurry
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. suit — clothes
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. band — a ring
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. suit — to fit
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. perch — the fish
  24. cell — a phone

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