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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  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. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. key — the most important part
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. roll — a cake
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — an injury
  11. roll — a list
  12. race — humankind
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. race — the arms race
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. race — a contest
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. key — in music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. foot — a measure
  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