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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — for a lock
  4. wound — an injury
  5. net — for catching
  6. key — in music
  7. net — after costs
  8. season — of the year
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. foot — a measure
  11. wound — an injury
  12. net — in sport
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — the amount
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. season — in sport
  20. content — happy
  21. sharp — clever
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. sharp — with an edge

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