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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. board — to get on
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. season — in sport
  13. wax — to grow
  14. degree — an amount
  15. board — a committee
  16. foot — a measure
  17. degree — temperature
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. snap — to click
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. season — of the year
  22. degree — from a university
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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