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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: hide · court · foot · file · leaves · track · wave · straw

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. track — a song
  7. court — for sport
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. file — a document
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. track — a path
  15. track — to keep track
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. foot — a measure
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — of law
  24. hide — to keep secret

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