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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. lean — to bend
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. foot — a measure
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. degree — an amount
  9. sharp — clever
  10. lean — thin
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. kick — in football
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — to drill
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — from a university
  24. foot — the bottom

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