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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. tube — a container
  3. cue — for pool
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — a box
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. tube — the underground
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. foot — a measure
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. chest — of your body
  18. cue — a hint
  19. rule — a law
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rule — government
  24. cue — a signal

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