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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. net — after costs
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. mark — a grade
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. net — for catching
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. net — in sport
  17. foot — a measure
  18. deal — to handle
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a committee
  22. wind — moving air
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. mark — a trace

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