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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. present — the time now
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. lean — to bend
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. present — a gift
  10. track — a path
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mine — for digging
  13. present — there
  14. track — to keep track
  15. lean — thin
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. net — after costs
  23. track — a song
  24. foot — part of the body

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