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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. firm — steady
  4. saw — the tool
  5. can — to be able to
  6. suit — to fit
  7. saw — the tool
  8. firm — decided
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — low music
  11. foot — a measure
  12. game — a match
  13. suit — clothes
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. can — a tin
  18. game — wild animals
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bass — the fish
  21. firm — a company
  22. can — a tin
  23. suit — in cards
  24. straw — a straw man

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