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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bore — to tire
  4. tear — from crying
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. suit — to fit
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. foot — a measure
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bore — to drill
  16. wind — moving air
  17. tear — to rip
  18. chest — a box
  19. suit — clothes
  20. wind — moving air
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. tear — from crying
  24. suit — in cards

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