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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. foot — a measure
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. court — for sport
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a tool
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. club — a group
  9. press — to push
  10. press — newspapers
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. court — of a king
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bore — to drill
  16. court — of law
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. file — a line of people
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bore — to tire
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — for dancing

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