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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: mug · saw · firm · game · straw · mark · hand · foot

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. firm — a company
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. mark — a grade
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. saw — the tool
  7. firm — decided
  8. mug — a face
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mug — to rob
  16. firm — steady
  17. hand — in cards
  18. foot — a measure
  19. saw — the tool
  20. hand — help
  21. mug — a cup
  22. game — wild animals
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. game — a match

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