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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. shower — to wash
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bark — to shout
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. shower — rain
  13. toast — bread
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. foot — a measure
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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