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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 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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. foot — a measure
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. toast — bread
  11. roll — a cake
  12. roll — a list
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. chip — to eat
  15. fall — the season
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. date — the fruit
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. chip — for betting
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — to drop
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. foot — the bottom

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