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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. band — a music group
  4. foot — a measure
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. saw — the tool
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. chip — to eat
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. chip — for betting
  16. band — a ring
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. saw — the tool
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. staff — employees

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