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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. pitch — completely
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. wind — moving air
  6. season — in sport
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. wind — moving air
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. rush — hurry
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. season — of the year
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. rush — to hurry

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