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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. key — in music
  4. bore — to tire
  5. wound — an injury
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. foot — a measure
  10. key — the most important part
  11. squash — the sport
  12. key — for a lock
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. mark — a trace
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. kick — in football
  18. mark — a grade
  19. wound — an injury
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. bore — to drill
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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