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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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468
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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. toast — bread
  3. can — a tin
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. kid — to tease
  6. can — to be able to
  7. foot — a measure
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. kid — child
  11. can — a tin
  12. fine — high quality
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. craft — boats
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. craft — a skill
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. fine — all right

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