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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. rash — hasty
  3. present — there
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. present — a gift
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. spell — a short time
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. content — happy
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. content — the amount
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pop — music
  15. foot — a measure
  16. rash — a series
  17. pop — soda
  18. rest — what's left
  19. spell — magic
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. spell — letters
  22. pop — to visit
  23. rest — a break
  24. present — the time now

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