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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. fall — the season
  4. foot — a measure
  5. cold — an illness
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for golf
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a line of people
  13. fall — to drop
  14. wake — a trail
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. file — a tool
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. cold — not warm
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. club — for dancing
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. fall — to drop

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