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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. spring — of water
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. spring — a coil
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. mug — to rob
  7. perch — the fish
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mug — a cup
  11. rest — a break
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. stock — shares
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. mug — a face
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. spring — the season
  19. stock — goods
  20. face — part of the head
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. face — to point toward
  23. foot — a measure
  24. face — to confront

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