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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — electricity
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. chest — of your body
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. mug — to rob
  12. charge — in control
  13. mug — a cup
  14. chest — a box
  15. rock — a stone
  16. chest — of your body
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. foot — a measure
  19. mug — a face
  20. snap — to click
  21. rock — music
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a line

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