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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 didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. swing — in golf
  6. stand — to bear
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. spell — a short time
  12. foot — a measure
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. swing — to play on
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. swing — music
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wake — a trail

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