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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. spell — a short time
  3. chest — a box
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. chest — of your body
  6. lean — thin
  7. roll — a list
  8. roll — a cake
  9. spell — letters
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. foot — a measure
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — the fruit
  15. lean — to bend
  16. spell — magic
  17. chest — of your body
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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