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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — a stick
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — to sink
  9. deal — to handle
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. capital — a city
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. lean — to bend
  15. rest — what's left
  16. board — to get on
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. staff — employees
  19. foot — a measure
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. capital — money
  23. board — a committee
  24. lean — thin

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