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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. land — ground
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. foot — a measure
  7. cue — a hint
  8. wound — an injury
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. cue — a signal
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. land — a country
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. race — humankind
  17. race — the arms race
  18. cue — for pool
  19. land — to come down
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rash — hasty
  22. race — a contest
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. wound — an injury

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