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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. rest — what's left
  3. row — a line
  4. track — to keep track
  5. lean — thin
  6. track — a path
  7. row — to paddle
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. squash — to crush
  10. lean — to bend
  11. snap — to click
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — the sport
  14. land — to come down
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. track — a song
  18. land — ground
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. land — a country
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. row — a quarrel

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