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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. ball — a dance
  3. chest — a box
  4. dip — to sink
  5. chest — of your body
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to click
  9. chest — of your body
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — to eat
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. ball — a great time
  19. chip — for betting
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. foot — a measure
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. pass — a permit

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