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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. staff — employees
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. staff — employees
  7. rush — hurry
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. staff — a stick
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. sharp — clever
  17. foot — a measure
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. pitch — completely
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to tire
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bore — to drill

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