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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  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. rest — what's left
  3. snap — to click
  4. rest — a break
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bark — to shout
  13. rest — what's left
  14. mark — a trace
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mine — for digging
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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