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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. mate — to breed
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wake — a trail
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. mate — a partner
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wound — an injury
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rest — a break
  14. mate — a friend
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wound — an injury
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wax — to grow
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rest — what's left
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. foot — a measure
  24. nail — on a finger

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