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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. mate — to breed
  4. foot — a measure
  5. rash — a series
  6. firm — a company
  7. present — a gift
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. mate — a friend
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. present — there
  13. bass — the fish
  14. mate — a partner
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rash — hasty
  17. firm — steady
  18. bass — low music
  19. saw — the tool
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. firm — decided
  23. present — the time now
  24. rash — on the skin

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