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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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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bore — to tire
  5. foot — a measure
  6. fall — to drop
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. mine — for digging
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fall — the season
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bore — to drill
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bore — gave birth

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