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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. foot — a measure
  7. swing — music
  8. hand — help
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. lean — to bend
  11. swing — in golf
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. key — for a lock
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. lean — thin
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. hand — in cards
  20. swing — to play on
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. key — in music
  23. key — the most important part
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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