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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  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. rock — a stone
  2. bound — obliged
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bound — certain
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. land — a country
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. land — to come down
  9. dip — to sink
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bound — tied together
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — a measure
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rock — music
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. land — ground
  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