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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. board — a committee
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. foot — a measure
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. saw — the tool
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. saw — the tool
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. dip — to sink
  20. board — to get on
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — lets stay

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