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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. pop — music
  3. season — of the year
  4. foot — a measure
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. staff — employees
  7. season — in sport
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. suit — clothes
  10. wax — to grow
  11. chip — to eat
  12. suit — in cards
  13. staff — a stick
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pop — to visit
  17. lean — to bend
  18. suit — to fit
  19. staff — employees
  20. chip — for betting
  21. lean — thin
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. pop — soda

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