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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. game — a match
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. file — a line of people
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. march — the month
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. toast — bread
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. game — wild animals
  20. file — a document
  21. march — music
  22. file — a tool
  23. foot — a measure
  24. march — the month

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