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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. can — a tin
  5. present — a gift
  6. face — to confront
  7. foot — a measure
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — the earth
  10. present — there
  11. present — the time now
  12. can — a tin
  13. ground — a position
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — a hat
  18. can — to be able to
  19. band — a ring
  20. cap — of ice
  21. face — to point toward
  22. cell — a phone
  23. band — a music group
  24. face — part of the head

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