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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. fine — all right
  4. present — there
  5. fine — high quality
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. foot — a measure
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. roll — a cake
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. present — a gift
  16. wound — an injury
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. present — the time now
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. wound — an injury
  22. roll — a list
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mark — a grade

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