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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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. cold — an illness
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. track — a path
  6. cold — not warm
  7. suit — in cards
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bat — the animal
  10. foot — a measure
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a song
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. perch — the fish
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. wax — to grow
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. suit — to fit
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. wax — in the ear

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