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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. track — to keep track
  3. toast — bread
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. last — final
  7. track — a song
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. last — finally
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — a short time
  15. cue — a hint
  16. rush — hurry
  17. last — to go on
  18. foot — a measure
  19. spell — magic
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. cue — a signal
  22. track — a path
  23. cue — for pool
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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