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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. pitch — completely
  3. last — to go on
  4. foot — a measure
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. roll — a cake
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. roll — a list
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. last — final
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. last — finally
  22. lie — to recline
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. pitch — a sports field

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