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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: lean · toast · pass · foot · cold · object · dip · straw

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. object — an aim
  3. pass — a permit
  4. foot — a measure
  5. cold — not warm
  6. object — a thing
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. object — to protest
  13. dip — to sink
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. lean — to bend
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. toast — bread
  20. lean — thin
  21. cold — an illness
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. lean — to rest against

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