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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. wind — moving air
  7. object — a thing
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. chip — to eat
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. court — of law
  12. rest — a break
  13. wind — moving air
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of a king
  16. foot — a measure
  17. chip — for betting
  18. object — to protest
  19. rest — what's left
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. object — an aim
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. temple — side of the head

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