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

Word bank: lash · straw · key · wind · foot · chair · mark · fine

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. wind — moving air
  7. fine — all right
  8. foot — a measure
  9. wind — moving air
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. fine — high quality
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. key — in music
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. key — the most important part
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. key — for a lock
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. chair — a leader
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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