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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 120 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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rest — what's left
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. kick — in football
  7. ground — the earth
  8. rash — a series
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. field — a subject
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. field — farmland
  16. foot — a measure
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. rash — hasty
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. lie — to recline
  21. ground — crushed
  22. field — for sport
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ground — a position

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