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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. foot — a measure
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — a trail
  10. lie — to recline
  11. club — for golf
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. season — in sport
  14. club — a group
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. club — for dancing
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. season — of the year
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. lie — an untruth

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