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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. foot — a measure
  5. cap — of ice
  6. ground — a position
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. ground — the earth
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. ground — crushed
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. suit — to fit
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. cap — a lid
  17. sharp — clever
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. suit — in cards
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. suit — clothes
  23. cap — a hat
  24. leaves — of a tree

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