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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. firm — decided
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. row — a line
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. staff — a stick
  8. firm — a company
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. drill — army training
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. row — to paddle
  13. drill — a practice
  14. staff — employees
  15. firm — steady
  16. hand — in cards
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. staff — employees
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. drill — the tool
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. hand — help
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. foot — a measure

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