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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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — a measure
  3. branch — a division
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a lid
  11. race — humankind
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bat — the animal
  14. race — a contest
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rest — what's left
  19. race — the arms race
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bat — in an idiom

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