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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. charge — electricity
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. fine — all right
  8. present — there
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — the arms race
  11. chest — of your body
  12. charge — in control
  13. present — the time now
  14. chest — a box
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. chest — of your body
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bear — the animal
  19. present — a gift
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — hasty
  22. race — humankind
  23. bear — the animal
  24. charge — a price

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