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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — a match
  4. clip — to cut
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. game — wild animals
  9. clip — a video
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. wake — a trail
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. stand — to bear
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. clip — for paper
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. straw — dry grass

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