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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. cold — not warm
  5. rest — what's left
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. suit — clothes
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. foot — a measure
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. suit — to fit
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pop — music
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — soda
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. cold — an illness
  24. suit — in cards

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