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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. band — a ring
  3. staff — employees
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. roll — a list
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. foot — a measure
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. band — a music group
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. cap — a hat
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. roll — a cake
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — of ice
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. rush — a thrill

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