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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. press — to push
  9. press — a publisher
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. press — newspapers
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — a phone
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pound — a weight
  18. cell — in a prison

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