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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. current — happening now
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. land — ground
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mug — a cup
  10. foot — a measure
  11. current — of water
  12. mug — to rob
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. row — to paddle
  17. land — a country
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. current — electric
  20. land — to come down
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. row — a line
  24. mug — a face

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