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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. wind — moving air
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. firm — steady
  5. wind — moving air
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. firm — a company
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. foot — a measure
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bound — certain
  14. board — to get on
  15. bound — obliged
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bound — tied together
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. toast — bread
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. firm — decided
  24. board — a committee

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