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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  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. foot — part of the body
  2. cold — an illness
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cold — not warm
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. foot — a measure
  7. mug — a cup
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. staff — a stick
  10. prune — to trim
  11. current — of water
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. staff — employees
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. mug — to rob
  19. prune — to trim
  20. current — happening now
  21. staff — employees
  22. current — electric
  23. mug — a face
  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