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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. suit — clothes
  3. pound — a weight
  4. clip — to cut
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. ground — a position
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. clip — a video
  9. suit — to fit
  10. cap — of ice
  11. sharp — clever
  12. suit — in cards
  13. ground — crushed
  14. cap — a lid
  15. clip — for paper
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. ground — the earth
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. foot — a measure
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. cap — a hat

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