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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. tube — a container
  3. chair — a leader
  4. net — in sport
  5. net — for catching
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. net — after costs
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — music
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. rush — hurry
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. tube — the underground
  21. swing — in golf
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. foot — a measure

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