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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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468
Word bank
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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. kick — in football
  5. stand — to bear
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. game — wild animals
  9. rock — a stone
  10. toast — bread
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. rock — music
  19. foot — a measure
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. stand — for spectators

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