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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — soda
  5. mug — a face
  6. can — to be able to
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pop — music
  11. spell — a short time
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. mug — to rob
  14. can — a tin
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. can — a tin
  17. foot — a measure
  18. spell — letters
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. fall — the season
  21. spell — magic
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. mug — a cup

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