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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mine — for digging
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. lean — thin
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. date — the fruit
  9. deal — to handle
  10. cap — a lid
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — a coil
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. spring — of water
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cap — of ice
  18. lean — to bend
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. cap — a hat
  24. deal — a big deal

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