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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wake — a trail
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to click
  9. dip — to sink
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. lie — to recline
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. foot — a measure
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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