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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bear — the animal
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. last — final
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. last — finally
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. last — to go on
  22. bear — the animal
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. arm — part of the body

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