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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. hand — in cards
  3. drill — the tool
  4. ground — crushed
  5. file — a tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — army training
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — to point toward
  10. ground — the earth
  11. staff — employees
  12. foot — a measure
  13. court — for sport
  14. staff — employees
  15. ground — a position
  16. staff — a stick
  17. court — of law
  18. court — of a king
  19. face — part of the head
  20. file — a document
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. file — a line of people
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — part of the body

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