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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. hand — in cards
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — the tool
  7. club — for golf
  8. chest — a box
  9. chest — of your body
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. band — a music group
  12. club — a group
  13. band — a ring
  14. hand — help
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. drill — a practice
  17. rush — hurry
  18. date — the fruit
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. club — for dancing
  21. chest — of your body
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. foot — a measure

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