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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. perch — the fish
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — electricity
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. craft — boats
  12. foot — a measure
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. craft — a skill
  15. capital — a city
  16. chest — a box
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. charge — a price
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. chest — of your body

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