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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.

Make a worksheet

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

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. present — there
  3. staff — employees
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. present — the time now
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. staff — employees
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. staff — a stick
  11. lie — to recline
  12. foot — a measure
  13. snap — to click
  14. tube — the underground
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. present — a gift
  18. tube — a container

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