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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. season — of the year
  4. fine — high quality
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. last — finally
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. last — to go on
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. craft — boats
  13. last — final
  14. fine — all right
  15. season — in sport
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bound — tied together
  20. foot — a measure
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bound — obliged
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bound — certain

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