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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. roll — a cake
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. roll — a list
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. rock — a stone
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. rock — music
  13. foot — a measure
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. wake — a trail
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. rest — a break
  20. row — to paddle
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. row — a line
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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