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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. foot — a measure
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. current — of water
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. current — happening now
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bark — to shout
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. lie — to recline
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rest — what's left
  18. current — electric
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rest — a break
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — in traffic

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