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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. chest — of your body
  3. foot — a measure
  4. press — newspapers
  5. chest — a box
  6. press — to push
  7. chest — of your body
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. firm — decided
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. firm — steady
  14. can — to be able to
  15. rash — hasty
  16. kid — to tease
  17. firm — a company
  18. press — a publisher
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — clever
  21. kid — child
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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