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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. band — a ring
  3. cue — for pool
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. pass — a permit
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. cue — a hint
  8. present — there
  9. foot — a measure
  10. present — a gift
  11. cue — a signal
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. rest — a break
  17. shower — to wash
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. band — a music group
  21. shower — rain
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. present — the time now

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