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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — a measure
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. land — to come down
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. can — a tin
  9. rest — a break
  10. can — a tin
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wound — an injury
  14. club — a group
  15. land — a country
  16. club — for golf
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. rest — what's left
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. can — to be able to
  22. wound — an injury
  23. land — ground
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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