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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. present — the time now
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. shower — rain
  9. spring — of water
  10. toast — bread
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. spring — the season
  14. present — a gift
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. shower — to wash
  20. present — there
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. spring — a coil
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. straw — dry grass

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