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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. lean — thin
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. pop — music
  5. ground — crushed
  6. present — the time now
  7. ground — the earth
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — there
  10. ground — a position
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pop — soda
  14. chest — of your body
  15. pop — to visit
  16. chest — a box
  17. chest — of your body
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. foot — a measure
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. lean — to bend
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. ruler — for measuring

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