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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. plane — a tool
  3. current — electric
  4. wound — an injury
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. ground — crushed
  7. current — of water
  8. kick — in football
  9. ground — the earth
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. ground — a position
  12. dip — to sink
  13. current — happening now
  14. press — newspapers
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. press — to push
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. press — a publisher
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. wound — an injury
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. foot — a measure

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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