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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. cell — a phone
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. squash — to crush
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to bend
  17. foot — a measure
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. cell — in biology
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bore — to drill
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bore — to tire
  24. track — a song

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