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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. staff — employees
  4. can — a tin
  5. key — for a lock
  6. staff — employees
  7. can — to be able to
  8. kid — to tease
  9. staff — a stick
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. key — in music
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. can — a tin
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. key — the most important part
  20. foot — a measure
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. kid — child

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