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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. staff — employees
  3. net — for catching
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. foot — a measure
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. face — to confront
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. staff — a stick
  11. net — after costs
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. face — part of the head
  14. cold — not warm
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cold — an illness
  17. face — to point toward
  18. staff — employees
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. net — in sport

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