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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. staff — a stick
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. staff — employees
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. sharp — clever
  10. key — the most important part
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. tube — a container
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — a safe
  16. tube — the underground
  17. staff — employees
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. foot — a measure
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. jam — in traffic

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