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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. drill — the tool
  5. tube — a container
  6. foot — a measure
  7. rule — a law
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — army training
  14. squash — to crush
  15. game — a match
  16. game — wild animals
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — the sport
  21. saw — the tool
  22. tube — the underground
  23. rule — government
  24. saw — the tool

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