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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. ball — a great time
  8. toast — bread
  9. rest — what's left
  10. chair — a leader
  11. rest — what's left
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. rest — a break
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — in sport
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. net — for catching
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. ball — a dance
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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