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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. mug — a cup
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. last — final
  7. mug — to rob
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. foot — a measure
  11. rush — hurry
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. race — humankind
  18. mug — a face
  19. last — to go on
  20. race — the arms race
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. race — a contest

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