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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. spring — the season
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. spring — of water
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. spring — a coil
  19. lie — to recline
  20. game — a match
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. game — wild animals
  24. lie — an untruth

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