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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. wake — a trail
  4. drill — army training
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. drill — the tool
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. drill — a practice
  23. row — a line
  24. row — to paddle

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