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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. drill — army training
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. present — there
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pound — a weight
  14. present — the time now
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. drill — a practice
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. drill — the tool
  22. present — a gift
  23. foot — a measure
  24. dip — to sink

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