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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  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 — part of the body
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. ball — a dance
  5. swing — music
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. rush — hurry
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. band — a ring
  11. foot — a measure
  12. ball — a great time
  13. band — a music group
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. swing — in golf
  17. fork — in a road
  18. swing — to play on
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to click
  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