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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. dip — to sink
  4. sharp — clever
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. fine — high quality
  8. foot — a measure
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a lid
  12. wind — moving air
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. fine — all right
  18. wind — moving air
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. cap — a hat
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. dip — to dunk

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