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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. lean — thin
  4. court — of law
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. present — there
  8. bass — the fish
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. foot — a measure
  13. fine — all right
  14. lean — to bend
  15. court — of a king
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. court — for sport
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — a gift
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. fine — high quality
  24. foot — part of the body

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