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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. object — to protest
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. object — a thing
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. wake — a trail
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. content — happy
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. foot — a measure
  23. object — an aim
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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