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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. pound — a weight
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bore — to drill
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. cap — a lid
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bore — to tire
  16. foot — a measure
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. face — to confront
  21. scale — size or range
  22. cap — of ice
  23. face — to point toward
  24. foot — the bottom

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