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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. spell — a short time
  4. chair — a leader
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. face — to confront
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. spell — letters
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bulb — for light
  12. face — to point toward
  13. content — the amount
  14. face — part of the head
  15. date — the fruit
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. spell — magic
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. foot — a measure
  21. content — happy
  22. bulb — for light
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. content — videos and posts

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