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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. fine — high quality
  7. stem — to come from
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. last — final
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. last — to go on
  13. tube — a container
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. board — a committee
  16. foot — a measure
  17. fine — all right
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. last — finally
  21. sharp — clever
  22. board — to get on
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. foot — part of the body

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