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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wave · foot · stick · net · scale · straw

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. scale — size or range
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — in music
  9. net — for catching
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. net — after costs
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. net — in sport
  18. foot — a measure

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