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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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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: cell · fine · firm · sharp · saw · straw · foot · face

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. foot — a measure
  4. firm — decided
  5. cell — in biology
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — all right
  9. face — part of the head
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. firm — a company
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. face — to confront
  14. firm — steady
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. saw — the tool
  21. sharp — clever
  22. cell — a phone
  23. face — to point toward
  24. foot — the bottom

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