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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 120 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. mug — to rob
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. mug — a face
  6. row — a line
  7. content — the amount
  8. rash — a series
  9. content — happy
  10. rule — government
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. foot — a measure
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rash — hasty
  15. mug — a cup
  16. degree — from a university
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. degree — an amount
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. rule — a law
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. degree — temperature

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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