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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 120 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. content — the amount
  3. saw — the tool
  4. foot — a measure
  5. rest — a break
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cell — in biology
  9. saw — the tool
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bore — to drill
  22. content — happy
  23. sharp — clever
  24. foot — part of the body

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