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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — to protest
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. pitch — completely
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. object — a thing
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. rush — hurry
  19. dip — to sink
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bark — to shout
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. dip — to dunk

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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