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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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 — a sauce
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. last — final
  5. dip — to sink
  6. cell — a phone
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. cell — in biology
  11. last — finally
  12. object — an aim
  13. last — to go on
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. foot — a measure
  16. row — a line
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bulb — for light
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bulb — for light
  21. object — to protest
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. object — a thing
  24. cell — in a prison

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