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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. root — of a word
  3. foot — a measure
  4. fine — all right
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. rash — a series
  8. deal — to handle
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. race — a contest
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. race — humankind
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. root — of a plant
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. rash — hasty
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. race — the arms race
  22. root — the cause
  23. lie — to recline
  24. pound — a weight

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