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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. row — a line
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rest — what's left
  5. cap — a lid
  6. suit — clothes
  7. current — happening now
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. suit — to fit
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. cap — a hat
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. suit — in cards
  17. row — to paddle
  18. cap — of ice
  19. current — of water
  20. current — electric
  21. foot — a measure
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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