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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. dip — to sink
  3. tear — to rip
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. tear — from crying
  6. game — a match
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. foot — a measure
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. tear — from crying
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. game — wild animals
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. vault — a safe
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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