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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. cell — in biology
  4. land — a country
  5. object — a thing
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. key — in music
  8. cell — a phone
  9. ball — a great time
  10. land — to come down
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. land — ground
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. object — an aim
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bat — the animal
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. object — to protest
  22. key — the most important part
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. lie — an untruth

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