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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. ground — a position
  3. mate — a friend
  4. roll — a list
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. spell — a short time
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. spell — letters
  13. foot — a measure
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. spell — magic
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. ground — crushed
  24. nail — on a finger

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