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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pass — a permit
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. board — a committee
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. hand — in cards
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. board — to get on
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. mine — for digging
  22. hand — help
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. leaves — lets stay

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